Interview with Dr. Tabak about NIDCR's GWAS Studies

A: This is a new approach to understanding genetic contribution to disease and it has been made possible by advances in our understanding of the human genome and markers termed “snips” (SNP’S), and so for the first time as the technology has continued to improve, we can literally look at one’s entire genome all at once. It’s very powerful because it allows you to look at diseases and conditions without any preconceived notion about which genes might be involved.

A: Well, as is true with any Genome-Wide Association Studies what we hope comes out are potential targets which may help explain the pathogenesis of the disease, which may provide us with predictors of disease susceptibility and ultimately, that may provide us with some therapeutic targets. In the case of the clefting study, because there is always a very rich literature about genetic associations and clefting, we hope to fill in some of the fine details and perhaps some unexpected results. In the case of dental decay--dental caries--this is a much more virgin territory and we are eagerly anticipating what novel findings may emerge. Again what has been the case in other GWAS studies is that you often find genes that you would have predicted a priori. But more exciting, you find genes that you never would have suspected.  And that’s where the true excitement comes--the sort of validation of the approach by finding the usual suspects, but the excitement of finding absolutely new and novel possibilities for prediction and susceptibility, and ultimately therapeutic applications.

Well exactly right. It’s a starting point. Some people think that, "Ah well, once you do the GWAS study, now it’s all over."  In fact it’s much like a commencement. You haven’t concluded anything, but rather you’re right at the very beginning. But you’re at the beginning with a very rich biological set of guidances and so we look very much forward to the conduct of these studies.

A: My pleasure.