Serious diseases genes revealed

gollum123 writes: "A major advance in understanding the genetics behind several of the world's most common diseases has been reported ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6724369.stm ). The landmark Wellcome Trust study analysed DNA from the blood of 17,000 people to find genetic differences. They found new genetic variants for depression, Crohn's disease, coronary heart disease, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 and 2 diabetes. The Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC) involved 50 leading research groups analysing the DNA from 2,000 patients for each of the seven conditions and 3,000 healthy volunteers. One of the most exciting finds was a previously unknown gene common to type 1 diabetes and Crohn's disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disorder, suggesting that they share similar biological pathways. There is also disease by disease data at the BBC ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6727043.stm )."