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Human Molecular Genetics, 2002, Vol. 11, No. 20 2455-2461
© 2002 Oxford University Press

The allelic structure of common disease

Desmond J. Smith1,2,* and Aldons J. Lusis3,4,5

1Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, 2Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, 3Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, 4Department of Medicine and 5Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA

Received June 28, 2002; Accepted July 27, 2002

A better understanding of the allelic structure of common human disease loci may help identification of the responsible genes, and is thus a topic of considerable practical importance. If few alleles at each locus account for the majority of disease risk, then screening for these causative factors will be greatly simplified. In contrast, if large numbers of independent alleles are responsible, dramatic improvements in genotyping speed will be necessary, placing the dream of personalized medicine far in the future. In this review, the evidence for and against the optimistic and pessimistic viewpoints is discussed. It appears that neither position has been proved or disproved, but the available evidence indicates that common diseases are due at least in part to genes with a small number of disease-associated alleles.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Pharmacology, UCLA School of Medicine, 23-120 CHS, Box 951735, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1735, USA. Tel: +1 3102060086; Fax: +1 3108256267. Email: dsmith{at}mednet.ucla.edu Correspondence may also be addressed to A.J. Lusis at: Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, UCLA, 3730 MRL, Box 951679, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1679, USA. Tel: +1 3108251359; Fax: +1 3107947345. Email: jlusis{at}mednet.ucla.edu


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