What are Genome-wide association studies (GWAS)?
GWAS studies are genomic studies that test hundreds of thousands of genetic variants across many genomes, to find those statistically associated with a specific trait. GWAS have a range of applications including understanding the underlying biology of a phenotype, estimating the heritability of a trait, investigating genetic correlations and making clinical predictions.
Advantages and Disadvantages of GWAS
GWAS can identify associations but doesn’t typically pinpoint causal relationships, so further studies are usually required to confirm findings and explore their biological significance.
GWAS Studies to investigate dental caries and
peridontal disease
Genome wide association studies (GWAS) play a crucial role in understanding the mechanisms underlying dental caries and periodontal disease. There are large variations in genetics and lifestyles across ethnicities, and although large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on dental caries and periodontal disease have been conducted extensively, few studies focus on Asian populations.
The recent study, “Genome-wide association meta-analysis identifies two novel loci associated with dental caries” by Nogawa et al., used genome data from 45,525 Japanese individuals to conduct a GWAS, assessing the self-reported history of dental caries and periodontal disease of study participants. A meta-analysis was then performed by integrating our results with those from a previous large-scale GWAS predominantly involving European populations.
Although no new loci associated with periodontal disease were identified, two novel loci associated with dental caries were discovered. The findings contribute to understanding the mechanisms underlying dental caries and periodontal disease.
We were delighted that this study used GeneFix Saliva collection devices to collect and stabilize DNA in saliva samples collected from participants. Genotyping was executed employing various Illumina Infinium BeadChips.
The GeneFix™ range of DNA/RNA products has been designed to maximize the yields and purity of DNA/RNA collected and stabilized from saliva. GeneFix kits are ideal for collecting samples from study participants at home or in the clinic, as they are non-toxic, simple to use, and contain a reagent that stabilizes DNA at room temperature for up to 60 months. After sample collection, kits can be mailed to the lab for DNA extraction.