Modeling the complex genetic architectures of brain disease

• Published in: Nature genetics Vol. 52; no. 4; pp. 363 - 369
• Main Authors: Fernando, Michael B., Ahfeldt, Tim, Brennand, Kristen J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.04.2020; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 38/44; 45/100; 45/43; 631/208; 631/208/191; 631/208/366; 631/532; 692/699/476; Agriculture; Animal Genetics and Genomics; Animals; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain; Brain architecture; Brain diseases; Brain Diseases - genetics; Cancer Research; Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats - genetics; Coupling (molecular); CRISPR; Disease; Gene expression; Gene Function; Gene loci; Genetic disorders; Genetic engineering; Genetic screening; Genome - genetics; Genome editing; Genomes; Genomics; Genotype & phenotype; Health risks; Human Genetics; Humans; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells - physiology; Molecular modelling; Perspective; Physiology; Pluripotency; Precision medicine; Precision Medicine - methods; Risk; Risk assessment; Stem cells; Studies
• ISSN: 1061-4036; 1546-1718; 1546-1718
• DOI: 10.1038/s41588-020-0596-3

The genetic architecture of each individual comprises common and rare variants that, acting alone and in combination, confer risk of disease. The cell-type-specific and/or context-dependent functional consequences of the risk variants linked to brain disease must be resolved. Coupling human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-based technology with CRISPR-based genome engineering facilitates precise isogenic comparisons of variants across genetic backgrounds. Although functional-validation studies are typically performed on one variant in isolation and in one cell type at a time, complex genetic diseases require multiplexed gene perturbations to interrogate combinations of genes and resolve physiologically relevant disease biology. Our aim is to discuss advances at the intersection of genomics, hiPSCs and CRISPR. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying disease risk will improve genetic diagnosis, drive phenotypic drug discovery and pave the way toward precision medicine. Combining genomic data with CRISPR, hiPSC and organoid technologies provides platforms to study the complex genetic architectures of brain disease. These studies could improve genetic diagnosis, drive drug discovery and move the field toward precision medicine.