Function2Gene: A gene selection tool to increase the power of genetic association studies by utilizing public databases and expert knowledge
2008

Function2Gene: A Tool for Gene Selection in Genetic Studies

Sample size: 251 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Don L. Armstrong, Chaim O. Jacob, Raphael Zidovetzki

Primary Institution: University of California, Riverside; University of Southern California School of Medicine

Hypothesis

Can using prior information improve the power of genetic association studies?

Conclusion

Using prior information helps researchers find reproducible genetic associations more effectively.

Supporting Evidence

  • The tool Function2Gene was used to select genes for a study on childhood-onset SLE.
  • The study identified 9 noteworthy genes associated with SLE.
  • Two of these genes were highly significant with FDR less than 0.05.

Takeaway

This study created a tool that helps scientists pick the right genes to study diseases by using information from previous research.

Methodology

The study used expert knowledge and public databases to select and rank genes for SNP association studies.

Potential Biases

Publication bias may affect the reproducibility of genetic association studies.

Limitations

The results are temporally-sensitive and depend on the databases queried.

Participant Demographics

The study involved 251 nuclear families with childhood-onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Statistical Information

P-Value

FDR < 0.05

Statistical Significance

FDR < 0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2105-9-311

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