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Asthma Genetics in the Post-GWAS Era.

ABSTRACT: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of asthma have yielded exciting results and identified novel risk alleles and loci. But, like other common complex diseases, asthma-associated alleles have small effect sizes and account for little of the prevalence of asthma. In this review, I discuss the limitations of GWAS approaches and the major challenges facing geneticists in the post-GWAS era and propose alternative strategies to address these challenges. In particular, I propose that focusing on genetic variations that influences gene expression and using cell models of gene-environment interactions in cell types that are relevant to asthma will allow us to more completely characterize the genetic architecture of asthma.

SUBMITTER: Ober C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5015734 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Asthma Genetics in the Post-GWAS Era.

Ober Carole C

Annals of the American Thoracic Society 20160301

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of asthma have yielded exciting results and identified novel risk alleles and loci. But, like other common complex diseases, asthma-associated alleles have small effect sizes and account for little of the prevalence of asthma. In this review, I discuss the limitations of GWAS approaches and the major challenges facing geneticists in the post-GWAS era and propose alternative strategies to address these challenges. In particular, I propose that focusing on ge ...[more]

PMID: 27027959

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