GWAS

I have written in the past on Genome-Wide Association Studies or GWAS. The promise of a more personalized, genetic understanding of disease has made this form of scientific investigation increasingly prominent.

The quest for a genetic basis for everything, with the exception of a very few and very bad diseases, has been disappointing – our genetic inheritance is polygenic, where hundreds or thousands of genes each make an exceedingly small contribut

I wrote the other day about genetic variations in the metabolism of alcohol in the Asian populations that result in flushing and discomfort very shortly after drinking.

I was skeptical about the latest announcement by 23andMe surrounding the release of their new report describing to it subscribers their risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Precision medicine, the promise of highly targeted, customized care is so alluring, but much of its hope and attraction is lost in the translation from science to practical care.