C. Bourgain
2014
Citations
0
Influential Citations
1
Citations
Journal
Medecine sciences : M/S
Abstract
While genomics is sometimes presented as an area of research where results can be rapidly translated into clinical practice, the facts are more ambiguous. To illustrate some of the pitfalls of translation, this article focuses on the applications of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) results. Following a brief scientific contextualization of GWAS, two emblematic examples are presented as illustrations. The case of Crohn's disease emphasizes the limits of GWAS results for individual risk prediction. The case of warfarin highlights the difficulties of demonstrating the clinical utility of genetic data in treatment decisions. The article outlines the simplification of disease causation that underlies the GWAS methodology. Whereas this reductionist approach is fruitful for exploratory research purposes, it shows its limits when applied to clinical conditions.