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The Genome Yields an Important Clue

Arch Ophthalmol. 2006;124:577-578.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The Human Genome Project has provided investigators with important tools to dissect the molecular events that predispose to human disease. These tools include the human DNA sequence itself, the identification of novel genes within the sequence, and a catalog of human DNA sequence variation. Information obtained by the Human Genome Project played a critical role in 5 recent investigations that have identified complement factor H as an important susceptibility gene for age-related macular degeneration.^1-5

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects more than 10 million Americans and is the leading cause of blindness among the elderly. Age-related macular degeneration is a complex disease that results from interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Studies have shown that the risk of macular degeneration increases with older age, smoking, and excess dietary lipids.⁶ Significant genetic contributions have been demonstrated by increased concordance between identical twins, familial clustering, and increased risk to first-degree relatives.⁷ The characterization . . . [Full Text of this Article]

AUTHOR INFORMATION
Janey L. Wiggs, MD, PhD