DNAprint Genomics (DNAG)

[frogdreaming]

Sciguy, Not really.

But to be used clinically, each individual would have to be screened genetically to determine if they had specific genetic sequences (cheaply, by haplotypes, if correlation is high) or by direct sequencing.

If the susceptibility/responder issue in question can be causally associated with a known genetic variance there is no need for any other screening method. Simply screen for the variance and get on with it.

The 'value' of bio-geographical association is when the causal variance is unknown. By extracting the bio-geographical trends from a population of responders, it is sometimes possible to determine a general locus for the unknown variance. Essentially the location where the variance first entered the gene pool. Once established it is then possible to narrow the pool of 'responders' via a scan for that specific bio-geographical ancestry.

It is only a tool to help with such a discovery process, it can never be used clinically due to the obvious lack of specificity that it provides.

regards,
frog