deCODE Study Shows Complex Interplay of the Human Biological Clock With Height, Weight and Disease
17 Mai 2009 - 8:24PM
PR Newswire (US)
Reykjavik, ICELAND, May 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a paper
published today in the online edition of Nature Genetics,
scientists from deCODE genetics (NASDAQ:DCGN) and academic
colleagues from Iceland, Denmark and the Netherlands present the
discovery of single letter variations in the sequence of the human
genome (SNPs) that influence the age of girls at menarche, the
first menstrual period. Age at menarche (AAM) is influenced by both
genetic and environmental factors, though the SNPs reported today
are the first genetic factors to be found. AAM is of interest not
only because it heralds the beginning of a woman's reproductive
life, but because it is also linked with susceptibility to disease
later in life. Obesity in particular is linked to earlier AAM, and
earlier AAM is in turn associated with risk of breast, ovarian and
endometrial cancers. Later AAM increases risk of osteporosis.
Through the analysis of more than 300,000 SNPs across the genomes
of more than 15,000 Icelandic women, and confirmed through
genotypic analysis of some 10,000 Danish and Dutch women, the
deCODE team identified two common SNPs on chromosome 6q21 that are
associated with between one and two months later AAM per copy
carried. This was encouraging, as last year deCODE had linked the
same SNPs to greater adult height, and increased aldult height has
been shown to correlate with later AAM. Indeed, looking at height
measurements from 38,000 Icelandic women, those carrying these SNPs
were 0.3 cm taller per copy carried. Furthermore it appears that it
is AAM that is having the impact on height, and not the other way
around. This is in keeping with the fact that the 6q21 variants
also confer greater adult height in men, and also suggests that
these SNPs should be involved in the onset of puberty in boys as
well. The deCODE team also demonstrated that several known genetic
variants linked to overweight and obesity also correlated with
earlier AAM. "The findings presented today are evidence of how our
approach of bringing together vast amounts of genetic and health
information can shed light on the processes driving complex human
traits. These SNPs offer a first step toward understanding the
genetic component of AAM, and probably the timing of the onset of
puberty in boys as well. But we have also been able to use them to
confirm that overweight and obesity is linked to earlier AAM, and
to suggest that later AAM contributes to greater height. The next
step in this work is to look at how these and other new genetic
factors linked to the timing of the reproductive cycle may be used
to predict and prevent disease. We plan to incorporate the most
interesting of today's findings into our deCODEme(TM) personal
genome analysis service," said Kari Stefansson, CEO of deCODE and
senior author on the paper. The paper, "Genome-wide association
study identifies sequence variants on 6q21 associated with age at
menarche," is published in the online edition of Nature Genetics,
at http://www.nature.com/ng, and will be published in an upcoming
print edition of the journal. About deCODE deCODE is a
bio-pharmaceutical company developing drugs and DNA-based tests to
improve the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of common diseases.
Its lead therapeutic programs, which leverage the company's
expertise in chemistry and structural biology, include DG041, an
antiplatelet compound being developed for the prevention of
arterial thrombosis; DG051 and DG031, compounds targeting the
leukotriene pathway for the prevention of heart attack; and DG071
and a platform for other PDE4 modulators with therapeutic
applications in Alzheimer's disease and other conditions. deCODE is
a global leader in human genetics, and has identified key
variations in the genome (SNPs) conferring increased risk of major
public health challenges from cardiovascular disease to cancer.
Based upon these discoveries deCODE has brought to market a growing
range of DNA-based tests for gauging risk and empowering prevention
of common diseases. Through its CLIA-registered laboratory, deCODE
offers deCODE T2(TM) for type 2 diabetes; deCODE AF(TM) for atrial
fibrillation and stroke; deCODE MI(TM) for heart attack; deCODE
ProstateCancer(TM) for prostate cancer; deCODE Glaucoma(TM) for a
major type of glaucoma; and deCODE BreastCancer, for the common
forms of breast cancer. deCODE is delivering on the promise of the
new genetics(SM). Visit us on the web at http://www.decode.com/; on
our diagnostics site at http://www.decodediagnostics.com/; for our
pioneering personal genome analysis service and new focused disease
scans, integrating the genetic variants included in these tests and
those linked to another twenty common diseases, as well as for our
new deCODEme Cardio(TM) and deCODEme Cancer(TM) scans, at
http://www.decodeme.com/; and on our blog at
http://www.decodeyou.com/. Any statements contained in this
presentation that relate to future plans, events or performance are
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking
statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results, and the timing of events, to differ
materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.
These risks and uncertainties include, among others, those relating
to our ability to obtain sufficient financing to continue as a
going concern, the outcome of the review of the continued listing
of our common stock on The Nasdaq Stock Market, our ability to
develop and market diagnostic products, the level of third party
reimbursement for our products, risks related to preclinical and
clinical development of pharmaceutical products, including the
identification of compounds and the completion of clinical trials,
our ability to form collaborative relationships, the effect of
government regulation and the regulatory approval processes, market
acceptance, our ability to obtain and protect intellectual property
rights for our products, dependence on collaborative relationships,
the effect of competitive products, industry trends and other risks
identified in deCODE's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including, without limitation, the risk factors
identified in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any
updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in our
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K.
deCODE undertakes no obligation to update or alter these
forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise. Contacts: deCODE genetics Edward Farmer
+44-7796-010107 Gisli Arnason +354-570-1900 Joy Bessenger
+1-212-481-3891 DATASOURCE: deCODE genetics Inc CONTACT: Contacts:
deCODE genetics: Edward Farmer, +44-7796-010107, ; Gisli Arnason,
+354-570-1900, ; Joy Bessenger, +1-212-481-3891,
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