Study to genotype six common diseases

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health says the type of analysis to be obtained is designed to identify the genetic contributions to common illnesses that affect the public health.

The six diseases are: psoriasis, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and anxiety, and diabetic nephropathy.

Using biological samples collected during earlier clinical studies, GAIN will evaluate the subtle differences between the genomes of approximately 1,000-2,000 healthy volunteers and the genomes of 1,000-2,000 patients with the condition being studied. Scientists say identifying genetic differences between the two groups will speed development of methods to prevent, diagnose, treat and even cure common conditions.

The Genetic Association Information Network is a public-private partnership involving the National Institutes of Health; Pfizer Inc.; Affymetrix Inc., of Santa Clara, Calif.; Perlegen Sciences Inc. of Mountain View, Calif.; Abbott Laboratories of Abbott Park, Ill.; and the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International