The Emerging Importance of Genetics in Epidemiologic Research III. Bioinformatics and statistical genetic methods.

PURPOSE: To outline potential benefits of integrating recent developments in bioinformatics and statistical genetics with traditional epidemiologic studies to localize genes influencing complex phenotypes and examine genetic effects on disease susceptibility. METHODS: An overview of bioinformatic and statistical approaches for localizing disease-susceptibility genes as well as challenges associated with identifying functional DNA variants and context-dependent genetic effects concludes this three-part series on the importance of genetics in epidemiologic research. RESULTS: Rapidly evolving bioinformatic and statistical methods are providing invaluable information on newly-discovered genes and molecular variation influencing human diseases that is readily available to epidemiologic researchers. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating bioinformatics and molecular biotechnology with epidemiologic methods of assessing disease risk is rapidly expanding our ability to identify genetic influences on complex human diseases. These technological advances are likely to have a profound impact on current knowledge of complex disease etiology, and may reveal novel approaches to disease treatment and prevention.