deCODE genetics and ARUP Laboratories today announced a partnership  through which ARUP will offer deCODE’s DNA-based prostate cancer risk assessment test  to its clients nationwide.

Under the terms of the non-exclusive agreement, ARUP will integrate deCODE ProstateCancer™ into the portfolio of tests it offers to leading academic medical centers, public and private healthcare providers, and major hospitals across the United States. ARUP’s clients will order the test, submit samples and receive results through ARUP, with deCODE conducting the genetic analysis in its CAP and CLIA-certified laboratory.

deCODE ProstateCancer measures 25 common single-letter variations, or SNPs, in the sequence of the human genome that are associated with the risk of prostate cancer. These SNPs were validated in tens of thousands of patients and controls in many populations. The risk conferred by these common SNPs is independent of family history, and does not correlate with benign prostatic hyperplasia (a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate). The test can identify approximately 15% of men in the general population who are at double the average risk of prostate cancer as well as 5% who have triple the average risk. This test is complementary to standard clinical risk screening, including PSA, providing additional information for a more complete and personalized picture of individual risk to help doctors manage effective screening and early-detection strategies.

“The management of patients with elevated or borderline PSA continues to be a challenge, and having the additional knowledge of a patient’s genetic risk for prostate cancer can be very useful. We are pleased to be working with deCODE, who has developed this test through a number of large clinical studies and continues to demonstrate excellent scientific productivity in the area of human genetics,” said Edward Ashwood, MD, President and CEO of ARUP Laboratories.

“We are excited to be partnering with ARUP to increase the availability of our prostate cancer test to physicians and their patients. The quality and breadth of their services, and their range of customers across the healthcare spectrum, make them an excellent partner. Our test helps to meet the need for improved risk stratification and patient outcomes, and we believe that this alliance will make these benefits available to a greater number of patients,” said Kari Stefansson, Executive Chairman and President of Research at deCODE.

ARUP Laboratories plans to begin offering deCODE’s prostate cancer risk test (ARUP test code 2003326) to clients in the fall of 2010.

Cigarette smoking is a major cause of illness and death worldwide. But it is a complex behavior, and how much people smoke, how hard they find it to quit, and the impact of long-term smoking on health varies greatly among individuals. A substantial portion of this variability is genetic. Two years ago, deCODE discovered the first common, single-letter variation (SNP) in the sequence of the human genome, on chromosome 15q25, associated with nicotine addiction and risk of lung cancer.

Today, deCODE scientists and academic colleagues from 23 institutions in a dozen countries build on this work with the discovery of common SNPs on chromosomes 8p11 and 19q13 that among smokers increase the number of cigarettes smoked per day (CPD), a measure of nicotine addiction, and increase risk of lung cancer.

The study, published today in the online edition of Nature Genetics, analyzes detailed genotypic and smoking data from more than 130,000 participants. Both of the new SNPs are common, and in smokers each copy carried associates with a small increase in smoking quantity – about half a cigarrette per day – but an approximately 10% increase in risk of lung cancer compared to non carriers. This is about one third of the increase in lung cancer risk conferred by the SNP on chromosome 15q25. But taken together these variants can identify a sizeable proportion of smokers whose health is at even greater risk than average from their habit, information which may serve as an additional spur to smoking cessation. The study, ‘Sequence variants at CHRNB3-CHRNA6 and CYP2A6 affect smoking behavior,’ can be found at www.nature.com/ng.

“Smoking is bad for anyone’s health. It is even worse for some, and today’s discoveries continue to strengthen our ability to identify who those people are and give them a compelling additional reason to quit. We plan to incorporate these SNPs into our testing products to do that. What we do not yet know is exactly how this additional risk is conferred. To some degree these variants suggest that those for whom nicotine is more addictive are driven to smoke more, increasing their exposure to environmental risk. But given the quite substantial corresponding increases in risk of lung cancer it may also be that they make people more susceptible to the noxious effects of tobacco smoke. What is clear is that these variants — which are all near genes that encode nicotine metabolizing enzymes and receptors — are giving us a solid starting point for finding answers to advance personal and public health,” said Kari Stefansson, executive chairman and president of research at deCODE and senior author on the paper.

deCODE wishes to thank all those who participated in and contributed to this study. It was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (R01-DA017932), and the European Comission’s GENADDICT project (LSHM-CT-2004-005166) and ENGAGE smoking consortium (HEALTH-F4-2007-201413).

Appearing today in the New England Journal of Medicine is a stealthily encouraging study for the use of genetic testing to improve the assessment of the risk of the common forms of breast cancer. Stealthily, I say, because the authors seem oddly determined to provide a gloomy interpretation of their own data. The study, entitled ‘Performance of Common genetic Variants in Breast-Cancer (sic) Risk Models,’ by Wacholder et al, uses data from several major breast cancer studies to answer an interesting question: does adding the measurement of common SNPs linked to risk of breast cancer add to the risk assessment provided by the traditional ‘Gail score’ criteria – age, family history, age at menarche, age at first live birth and the number of previous breast biopsies?

The answer is clearly yes, though the authors of the paper seem not to want you to know that. Most importantly, the authors define as elevated risk those women between the ages of 50 and 79 who are at a greater than 0.575% chance of developing breast cancer in any given year. Using the Gail criteria alone, 18.9% of study participants were considered to be at elevated risk. But with the addition of the genetic risk factors – which are ten of the twelve risk factors tested for by deCODE Breast Cancer test – another 9% of participants could be identified as being in the higher risk category. A 50% improvement.

Similarly, using an Area Under the Curve calculation (customarily used to evaluate the accuracy of methods for diagnosing disease) the Gail model yielded an AUC of 58%, and the Gail-plus-genetics model yeilded an AUC of 61.8%. In an AUC model, the amount over 50% (the baseline of a test that is no better than random) is the measure of relative discriminatory power. So an increase from 8 to 11.8 is, yes, a small number, but also an improvement of something in the neighborhood of 45%. The study also shows that compared to each other, the set of genetic risk factors were more accurate predictors of breast cancer than were the Gail factors that are the current mainstay of risk assessment.

So I can see why the authors wouldn’t want to celebrating these results too loudly – because we need to do better. But what this study shows is that genetics is already taking us in the right direction, and that the addition of genetic risk to current clinical practice can – right now, today – provide a substantial improvement in the crucial task: to better risk stratify the population, focus screening on those who should have it, pick up more cancers earlier and save lives. I can’t see anythig but good news in that. Our task is to keep discovering new risk factors that will continue to increase the power of these tests, and we are committed to doing so.

Dr. Kari Stefansson

We are very happy to announce today that deCODEme has been awarded the presitigious HONcode certification. This is the oldest and best known system for certifying that information on medical websites is ethically and credibly presented.

HONcode stands for the same principles we do. It conducts a rigorous and dynamic evaluation of how information is presented to users – involving individuals, physicians, and the provider of the service. The goal is to ensure that medically relevant information is presented in a way that enables users to understand what the information is useful for as well as the science upon which it is based. deCODEme provides this information to individual subscribers and, through the deCODEHealth interface, it also enables individuals to share their profile with their doctor and to integrate deCODEme as a component of their personal healthcare strategy.

As we have always said, and as our users know, what sets deCODEme and deCODEHealth apart is the scientific leadership of the team behind the service. These are online services, but we are not a dot-com company. Our services are developed and offered by the same people who over more than a decade have discovered most of the important genetic risk factors we test for. This is our commitment to our subscribers, and to the medical professionals and healthcare systems that are leading the way in employing genetics to deliver the best healthcare for their patients.

So this certification is as much about you as it is about us – congratulations!

The deCODEme Team

Pancreatic cancer has been added to the deCODEme Complete Scan. Pancreatic cancer is a particularly difficult form of cancer. It is virtually asymptomatic in its earliest stages. The cancer typically spreads rapidly and aggressively into surrounding tissue and organs, it is resistant to standard chemotherapy and has a strong tendency to recur. These characteristics make pancreatic cancer one of the most challenging cancers to treat unless caught early enough, and provide a grim prognosis for many diagnosed with the disease.

Currently there is no screening test available for this cancer, but genetic variants have been identified that are associated with increased risk of developing non-endocrine pancreatic cancer, the most common type of pancreatic cancer.  The deCODEme Complete Scan recently added non-endocrine pancreatic cancer to its genetic risk assessment profile.

deCODE genetics ehf today emerged as a newly financed, private company focused on advancing the science of human genetics and its application to products and services that improve human health. The new company will be building on the scientific leadership in genetics it developed over more than a decade as a subsidiary of deCODE genetics, Inc. deCODE ehf was this week purchased from its former parent company by Saga Investments LLC, a consortium that includes Polaris Ventures and ARCH Venture Partners, two leading life science investors. deCODE will continue all of its operations and product lines in this field, including its deCODE diagnostics disease risk tests; deCODEme™ personal genome scans; and contract service offerings including genotyping, sequencing and data analysis. Going forward, deCODE  will concentrate on translating its science into medically and commercially important products and services.  The company will be led by a two-man executive committee comprised of Earl “Duke” Collier, previously an executive vice president at Genzyme Corp.,who will serve as CEO, and Kari Stefansson, who will serve as executive chairman and president of research.

deCODE operates the most productive human gene discovery engine in the world. It is driven by genetic and medical data from 500,000 participants from around the globe taking part in its gene discovery work; comprehensive genealogies linking the 140,000 Icelandic participants; a major CLIA- and CAP-certified genotyping and sequencing facility; and statistical and informatics tools for mining large datasets, for maximizing the information derived from genotyping and sequencing data, and for visualizing genetic and disease data in research, in the clinic, and for subscribers to its genome scans.

“deCODE has led the world in discovering variants in the sequence of the human genome that affect the risk of common diseases. Our resources and expertise have also enabled us to develop the leading analytical tools in the field, and we are putting all of this to work to provide unique value for patients, physicians and researchers. As we enter the era of sequencing entire genomes, we believe our ability to make sense of ever larger amounts of data will continue to keep us in the lead in discovery. And with our now solid financial backing and the splendid addition of Duke Collier to our management, we will be taking a lead in the translation of our science into powerful products and services.” said Kari Stefansson.

“I am pleased to be joining Kari and the outstanding scientific team at deCODE,” said Duke Collier. “deCODE combines world class science devoted to human genetics, unmatched access to genetic data, and a powerful set of tools for managing and analyzing this data. SNP genotyping, and now genomic sequencing, is taking human genetics into an ever expanding world of research, discovery and translation. With its scientific skill and industrial scale analytical capacity, deCODE will be an invaluable partner to investigators, labs and companies working at the highest levels of sophistication in this exciting field. I am thrilled by the challenge and the opportunity.”

We have just made some updates to the deCODEme ancestry service. Now you have more power and flexibility when you compare your genome with that of friends or individuals from different populations around the world.

Your genome can be viewed as a mosaic or tapestry made up of fragments of chromosomes from your ancestors. Fragments of chromosomes inherited from very recent ancestors, say grandparents, are expected to be large – typically tens of millions of nucleotides in size. As ancestors become more ancient, then the size of the chromosome fragments inherited from them become smaller – down to a few thousand or hundred nucleotides for ancestors born thousands of years ago.

Our new and improved genome comparison tool enables to you compare your genome with another individual in order to determine which chromosome fragments you share and to see how much of your genome is shared. The fascinating thing about this analysis is that each shared fragment represents a common ancestor. The number of shared fragments and their size reflects the number of common ancestors and how far back in time they are found. In other words, you can see how closely you are related.

When genomes are compared, your chromosomes are broken down into fragments of a particular size and sharing is evaluated for each fragment. Before the fragment size was fixed at 1 million nucleotides. Now you can change the size of fragments that are compared, from a minimum of 250 thousand nucleotides (250Kb) to a maximum of 20 million nucleotides (20Mb). The minimum fragment size will reveal shared chromosome fragments from common ancestors going back thousands of years. The maximum fragment size will reveal only shared chromosome fragments from very recent common ancestors – i.e. going back only a few generations. Setting the fragment size thus lets you select how far back in time you want to hunt for common ancestors.

This image shows results of a comparison between an Icelander and an Orkney Islander using a fragment size of 3Mb. The brown lines are shared fragments, inherited from common ancestors from more than 1000 years ago!

Scientists at deCODE genetics today report the discovery of seven novel and common single-letter variations in the sequence of the human genome (SNPs) that are involved in modulating the electrical impulses that govern the working of the heart. Two of these SNPs, which correlate with electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) measurements that are used in the clinical evaluation of heart health and activity, were then shown to confer increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), one of the most common causes of irregular heartbeat and a leading cause of stroke. The paper, “Several common variants modulate heart rate, PR interval and QRS duration,” is published online in Nature Genetics and will appear in an upcoming print addition of the journal.

The deCODE team began by correlating ECG measurements with genome-wide SNP data from more than 40,000 Icelandic participants in its gene discovery program. This search identified one novel SNP influencing heart rate and four each linked to PR interval and QRS duration, measurements of how quickly the electrical impulses that cause the heart muscles to pump achieve their purpose. Intriguingly, SNPs on chromosome 3 linked to both longer PR interval and QRS duration are in the gene encoding SCN10A, a sodium channel that has never before been linked to heart activity. Individuals with the same variants were also more likely to have been fittted with a pacemaker. A follow-on analysis of all of the novel SNPs in Icelandic and Norwegian heart patients and controls demonstrated the association of two of the SNPs linked to PR interval to risk of AF, and another SNP to increased risk of advanced atrioventricular block. Two other papers published today in the same journal provide further validation of some of the deCODE findings.

“Over the past two years, we have discovered major genetic risk factors for heart disease and stroke and introduced tests for these risk factors into clinical practice. We are building the power of these tests through our ongoing discovery work, and today’s findings demonstrate again the fruitfulness of using intermediate risk factors and clinical measurements as entry points for finding risk factors for disease. Our population resources enable us to do so efficiently and with exciting results. These latest findings will be incorporated into our deCODE AF test and deCODEme scans,  and certain of these discoveries may also provide opportunities for out-licensing for therapeutic development,” said Kari Stefansson, CEO of deCODE.

Season’s Greetings And Best Wishes For The New Year from deCODE.

We at deCODEme just wanted to let you know that we have added a Forum where you can discuss genetics, ancestry and health. Our experts are looking forward to your questions and comments so we hope you take advantage of this new feature.

We are constantly working on making deCODEme more valuable and informative and we appreciate your continued interest.

We hope you have a pleasant and festive holiday.

The deCODEme Team

Hypertension genetic risk now a part of the deCODEme Complete Scan

Hypertension, commonly referred to as high blood pressure, has been added to the deCODEme Complete Scan. Hypertension is defined as blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or above on three consecutive measurements at least six hours apart. Blood pressure this high is a risk factor for many diseases. Over time, the increased workload on the heart weakens it and contributes to atherosclerosis (the thickening of the arteries due to fat and cholesterol depositions), thereby increasing the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, which are among the leading causes of death in the United States. High blood pressure can also lead to other conditions, such as heart failure, kidney disease, and blindness. High blood pressure is especially dangerous because it often has no obvious warning signs or symptoms and can therefore remain undiagnosed and untreated long enough to cause damage. High blood pressure is common, but too often goes undetected. An estimated 1 billion people worldwide have hypertension, and this number is expected to increase to 1.56 billion people by the year 2025. This translates to about 1 in 4 adults being afflicted with hypertension worldwide. Currently, about 1 in 3 Americans are thought to have hypertension, and a third of them probably do not know it.

deCODE scientists have discovered a single SNP that confers increased risk if inherited from the father, but is protective if inherited from the mother

Scientists at deCODE genetics, Inc. publish in the journal Nature the discovery of a version of a common single-letter variant in the sequence of the human genome (SNP) with a major impact on susceptibility to type 2 diabetes (T2D). The impact of the T2D variant is not only large, but unusual: if an individual inherits it from their father, the variant increases risk of T2D by more than 30% compared to those who inherit the non T2D-linked version; if inherited maternally, the variant  lowers risk by more than 10% compared to the non T2D-linked version. Nearly one quarter of those studied have the highest risk combination of the versions of this SNP, putting them at a roughly 50% greater lifetime risk of T2D than the quarter with the protective combination. This is the second largest effect of any genetic variant for T2D apart from SNPs in TCF7L2, discovered by deCODE in 2006.

“We could make this discovery beacause we are in the unique position of being able to distinguish what is inherited from the mother from what is inherited from the father. This we can do because of the large amount of data we have assembled on the Icelandic population. These data empower us in many ways. For example, using our ability to impute sequence data, we can multiply by 100 times the amount of information generated by sequencing one individual. We can use these tools to discover and integrate rarer variants into our tests and scans, identify drug targets for licensing, and put our know-how at the disposal of our service customers. We believe that this is an important advantage for conducting large-scale whole sequence studies over the next couple of years,” said Kari Stefansson, CEO of deCODE.

Because the risk is inherited and varies in this way, the SNP, located on chromsome 11, had never been linked to T2D even though it had been genotyped in large, traditional genome-wide association studies (GWAS). These do not distinguish between paternally and maternally inherited SNPs. But deCODE can track the parental origin of virtually any SNP in the genome of the tens of thousands of Icelandic participants in the company’s gene discovery work. In this study, deCODE used its population-wide genealogy database and proprietary statistical tools to determine the parent of origin of a number of SNPs in some 40,000 Icelandic participants in the company’s gene discovery programs. Some of these SNPs had previously been associated with different diseases and are located near “imprinted” genes – genes in which only the maternally or paternally inherited copy is “switched-on” to encode a protein. Five of these, one each in breast and skin cancer and three in T2D, showed that the parental origin of the variants affects the risk they confer.

The paper, “Parental origin of sequence variants associated with complex diseases,” is published online at www.nature.com, and will appear in the December 17 print edition.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is a complex disease and often difficult to diagnose – knowing your genetic risk may help your doctor rule out or confirm Lupus.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus has been added to the deCODEme Complete Scan. Lupus is an autoimmune disease characterized by intermittent flares of inflammation in various tissues of the body. Autoimmune diseases occur when the body’s tissues are attacked by its own immune system. Normally, people produce antibodies that attach themselves to infectious agents when they enter the body and mark them for destruction by the immune system. People who have Lupus produce abnormal antibodies that target tissues within their own body. Lupus can therefore cause inflammation and tissue damage in various organs such as the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, joints, and even the nervous system. If you already have a deCODEme Complete Scan you can now log in to see your genetic risk for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. If you want to purchase a genetic test visit the deCODEme store.

The National Human Genome Research Institute catalog can now be accessed through your deCODEme account

Through your deCODEme account (or the demo account if you are not yet a deCODEme customer) you can access a catalog of published Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) that has been compiled by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).

This feature allows you to gain a quick overview of where research on common traits has been showing associations with single nucleotide genetic variations (SNPs).  Users can easily select a disease or trait from a list and a feature track with the corresponding SNPs from the catalog will show up in our Genome Browser.

Many of the associations in the GWAS catalog compiled in August 2009 are included in our Health Watch feature. There are also numerous other associations that our scientists have not included, as they do not fulfill the criteria we set for inclusion in our Health Watch.

The GWAS catalog is presented (see here) simply as it appears on the NHGRI web site and has not been reviewed by deCODE’s scientists. The catalog is provided primarily for educational purposes – for the curious George who wants to look at genome-wide association study results in the context of other information that we provide in our Genome Browser.

As a follower of deCodeYou, we wanted to let you know about some important developments in the company and how we believe these will underpin our ability to continue to keep you in the forefront of understanding what the latest advances in genetics mean for you and your health.

For the past several months, deCODE has been working on restructuring its operations. As a result of these efforts, deCODE has entered into and filed concurrently with its Chapter 11 petition announced today an asset purchase agreement under which it would sell its Iceland-based human genetics operation to new owners. This is the subsidiary that conducts our human genetics research, manages our population genetics resources and provides our personal genome scans and DNA-based risk assessment tests. This agreement is subject to a number of contingencies, including a competitive bidding procedure and court approval in accordance with bankruptcy law. It also provides interim financing to enable us to continue operations during the Chapter 11 process, and we have asked the court for the customary authority to continue to provide products and services to our customers without interruption during the bankruptcy process.

Thus you should expect to continue to hear from here on all the latest in human genetics and its relevance to health and healthcare. You can read our press release here.

With best regards,

The deCODEyou team

Dr. Kari Stefansson receives Jahre Award - Photo by Francesco Saggio, University of Oslo

In a ceremony held this evening in Oslo, deCODE founder and CEO Kari Stefansson received the Anders Jahre Award for Medical Research. One of the most prestigious medical prizes in the Nordic countries, it was awarded in recognition of Dr. Stefansson’s leading contribution to increasing understanding of the genetic factors involved in common, complex diseases. The selection committee noted that this work has been driven by deCODE’s population approach, and by the participation of a large proportion of the Icelandic population in the company’s gene discovery programs.

Photo by Francesco Saggio, University of Oslo

Photo by Francesco Saggio, University of Oslo

Knowing your risk for Chronic Kidney Disease through a deCODEme DNA scan can increase your awareness and empower you to take preventive steps to protect your kidneys.

Chronic Kidney Disease has been added to the deCODEme Complete Scan. Chronic Kidney Disease involves the gradual loss of kidney function over time that can ultimately lead to kidney failure. It typically develops as a result of other common diseases, primarily diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, but not everyone has the same risk of developing Chronic Kidney Disease. Research suggests that this disease has a strong familial component.

In the U.S., an estimated 26 million adults have Chronic Kidney Disease, but most of them do not know it. The kidneys have such a remarkable ability to compensate for problems in their function, that there may be no symptoms of Chronic Kidney Disease until it has progressed considerably.

Recently, scientists identified a common genetic variant (rs4293393-T), associated with increased risk of Chronic Kidney Disease. deCODEme has incorporated these results into the complete genetic scan, which analyzes your DNA and provides you with a personalized risk assessment for Chronic Kidney Disease and about many other diseases, including diabetes, obesity and kidney stones.

Chronic Kidney Disease is a growing problem in the U.S. and in other western parts of the world, Knowing your risk for Chronic Kidney Disease can increase your awareness and empower you to take preventive steps to protect your kidneys.

deCODEme Complete Scan now includes Testicular Cancer

At deCODEme, we believe that when it comes to planning your preventive health efforts, your genetic profile is the place to start. This month we have added two new diseases, both of which are highly curable if caught early.

If you are a deCODEme customer who has bought our Complete Scan, your account now includes a personalized genetic risk assessment for:

Testicular Cancer of males, and Ovarian Cancer of females.

Our scientists have also added more genetic details to the risk assessment for Prostate Cancer, which now includes a total of 25 genetic risk variants for customers of the Complete Scan.

deCODEme DNA test now includes Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer in women. Based on ovarian cancer statistics in the U.S., it is expected that 1.4% of women born today will be diagnosed with cancer of the ovary at some point during their lifetime. This represents the lifetime risk of ovarian cancer and means that 1 out of every 71 women will be diagnosed with this disease during their lifetime. deCODEme Complete Scan now includes risk calculation for Ovarian Cancer.

Genetics is a major risk factor for ovarian cancer

Although many environmental and lifestyle factors affect the risk of ovarian cancer, the single greatest known risk factor is a family history of the disease. This indicates that genetics is a major risk factor. Scientists already know that variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes significantly increase a woman’s chances of developing ovarian cancer. However, these variants are rare and account for less than 5% of all ovarian cancers. Recently, scientists have discovered a common variant on chromosome 9 that can increase a woman’s risk of developing the most common type of ovarian cancer (epithelial cancer). This variant is found in approximately 70% of women of European descent.

deCODEme provides personalized access to some of the first genetic variants recently linked to the most common type of brain cancer - Glioma

There are various types of brain cancer. Brain cancer can be primary, when it starts from cells in the brain, or secondary, when the cancer starts in another part of the body (for example in the lung or breast) and spreads to the brain through the bloodstream (that is through metastasis). Brain tumors can also be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (with cancer cells that multiply uncontrollably).

A glioma is a malignant primary brain cancer that originates from so-called glial cells found within the brain. There are several different types of gliomas determined by the type of glial cell that gives rise to the tumor. Although gliomas are rare, they are the most common type of primary malignant brain tumor in adults. They account for up to 80% of all brain cancer cases, with around 21,000 individuals diagnosed every year in the USA.

You may have heard about glioma in the news recently as this was the type of malignant brain cancer that recently claimed Senator Edward M. Kennedy‘s life at age 77. The causes of gliomas are largely unknown. However, scientists have long suspected that genes play a role, making some individuals more likely than others to develop brain cancer. Now some of these genes have been found. A study published in Nature Genetics in July, 2009, reports on the identification of the first common genetic variants known to contribute to an increased risk of developing this type of brain cancer. The deCODEme team has reviewed these findings and added them to the deCODEme Genetic Scan . On the basis of this newly published knowledge, we can now provide customers of European descent with a personalized interpretation of their genetic risk for developing a glioma-type brain cancer.