According to a recent news release, researchers have found that 30% of the likelihood of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) may be revealed in 475,806 genetic variants in our genome.Corey Watson, Simon Fraser University doctoral graduate, biology, and colleagues in the United Kingdom report that they helped quantify MS susceptibility by investigating Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS)-identified variants in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region in 1,854 MS patients.

The researchers note that they then compared MS patients’ variants to those of 5,164 patients without MS. The results indicate that 8% of individuals’ 30% genetic susceptibility to MS is associated with small DNA variations on chromosome 6, which researchers say have also been linked to MS susceptibility. 

Watson adds that, “Much of the liability is unaccounted for because current research methods don’t enable us to fully interrogate our genome in the context of risk for MS and other diseases.”

Researchers spotlight genes that have variants, rare in this population, as a key starting point to beginning to assess additional causes of MS. The role of rare gene variants in MS has been singled out and illustrated in two recent studies, Watson explains. However, Watson adds that the variants are generally poorly represented by genetic markers captured in GWAS, such as the one that he and his colleagues based their recent study on.

The study’s results appear online in Scientific Reports.

Source: Simon Fraser University