Whence forth after the GWAS wave for diabetic nephropathy?

Abstract

Two decades have passed since the first reports were published proposing that riskfor diabetic nephropathy may be genetically determined. Since then, efforts using thecandidate gene approach and conventional genome linkage scans have met with limitedsuccess. The feasibility of performing genome wide association studies (GWAS) hasbeen realized in recent years and results from these on diabetic nephropathy will soon beavailable.These studies will undoubtedly throw light on the involvement of novel genes in thepathogenesis of this complication. Nevertheless, it is also expected on the basis of thecollective GWAS experience so far that these genes will have limited effect sizes (ORstypically