Step back and look at the forest

Abstract

The functional classification of the nearly 1000 known inherited disease genes has revealed some interesting insights into the general principles of disease, such as age of onset and mode of inheritance, as reported in the 15 February issue of Nature. For example, Jimenez-Sanchez et al. found that transcription factor genes play an important role in embryonic development, whereas diseases due to enzymes ‘peaked’ in the first year, those for receptors between one year and puberty, and those due to protein modifiers in early adulthood. This initial human disease gene survey might encourage scientists and clinicians – who traditionally study only a single disease, or perhaps several related diseases – to take a step back occasionally, and take a look at the forest instead of the trees. AH