Genome sequencing of a family with a history of primary progressive MS

Summary

MS is not traditionally thought of as an inherited disorder, however having a relative such as a parent or sibling with MS significantly increases your risk of developing MS. This indicates that there is a genetic component of the disease. For some families the risk is higher than in other families, and these families with higher risk can really help the search for identifying important MS genes. While there has been a lot of work into the way that genes control the risk of MS, genes responsible for progressive MS have still not been identified. The understanding of progressive MS genetics will give important insights into how this disease develops.
Dr Field has identified an extended family with a history of primary progressive MS. Using some of the latest advances in DNA sequence technologies, Dr Field’s group is planning to carry out extensive DNA sequencing (also known as deep sequencing) on members of this family. Deep sequencing checks the DNA of each individual multiple times to ensure any rare variants or alterations in the DNA are detected. In contrast to methods that have been used in the past, this method can also detect structural changes in DNA, or rearrangement of genes. Taken together this project utilises the power of family genetics with the latest DNA sequencing technologies in an effort to gain further insight into the complex genetics of progressive MS.