This article is original from Translational Medicine Network. Please indicate the source when reprinting
Author: Sophia
Introduction: Adult height is mainly determined by the information encoded in our DNA - children from tall parents are often taller, while children from short parents are shorter, but these estimates are not perfect. Growth from infants to adults, and the role of genetics in it, is traditionally a complex and poorly understood field in human biology. Previously, the maximum genome-wide association study of height used a sample size of up to 700,000 people, and the current sample size is about 7 times that of previous studies.
On October 12, a study titled "A saturated map of common genetic variants associated with human height" published in the journal Nature, provides a comprehensive map of specific genomic regions containing most common height-related variants spectrum .
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05275-y
Study Overview
01
This study is the largest genome-wide association study ever, using DNA from more than 5 million people from 281 contribution studies. It fills a huge gap in our understanding of how genetic differences explain height differences. More than one million study participants were non-European—African, East Asian, Hispanic, or South Asian—born.
12,111 variants gather around the genome sections associated with bone growth, providing a powerful genetic predictor of height. The identified variants explain 40% of the height variation in people of European descent and about 10-20% of people of non-European descent.
This unprecedented scale of research provides new details and biological insights into why people are tall or short, with heritability related to various specific genomic regions. The results of the study show that genetic variations related to height are concentrated in regions covering more than 20% of the genome.
The results of this study can help doctors identify people who cannot reach genetically predicted height, which may help diagnose hidden diseases or conditions that may hinder their growth or affect health. The study also provides a valuable blueprint on how genome-wide studies can be used to identify the biology of the disease and subsequent genetic components.
requires greater genome diversity
02
Compared with previous studies, this study has a large number of participants from non-European ancestry, but the researchers stressed that genome studies require broader diversity . Most of the available genetic data comes from people of European descent, so genome-wide studies cannot capture a wide range of ancestral diversity around the world. increases the size of genome-wide studies in non-European populations of descent is crucial to reach the same level of saturation and narrow the gap in prediction accuracy among different populations.
Dr. Eirini Marouli said: “We are studying DNA from over 5 million people Results have been achieved, but this was considered impossible not long ago. Genome research is revolutionary and may be the key to solving many global health challenges, with unlimited research potential. If we can clearly understand characteristics such as height at the genomic level, then we may have better diagnostic models, for example, to treat diseases affected by genes, such as heart disease or schizophrenia . If we can map specific parts of the genome to certain characteristics, it will open the door for a wider range of targeted personalized treatments, allowing people around the world Benefit. ”
Reference:
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-10-million-people-dna-reveals-genetic.html
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05275-y
Note: This article aims to introduce the progress of medical research and cannot be used as a reference for treatment plans. If you need health guidance, please go to a regular hospital for treatment.
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