Network Contributions / Beiträge zu Netzwerken
National Genome Research Network (Nationales Genomforschungsnetz, NGFN) – Overview
The aim of the National Genome Research Network (NGFN) is to increase our knowledge about the function of medically relevant genes in humans. NGFN is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Research and Education (BMBF).
In medical genetics, the focus is shifting to genetically complex diseases. The etiology of these diseases is multifactorial and is presumably based on several partly interacting genetic mechanisms, which in addition may be modulated by environmental factors. Furthermore it is likely that the involved mutations contribute to a variable extent to the phenotype. Most genetically complex diseases (e.g. diabetes mellitus, hypertension, asthma, atopic dermatitis, schizophrenia) have a much higher population prevalence than the monogenic diseases. Thus, an improved understanding of these diseases is of high socioeconomical relevance. The characterization of genes involved in the etiology of these diseases will open ways for a better understanding of the pathophysiology and will not only improve diagnostics but will also allow the development of new therapeutic and preventive strategies.
The competence of clinical experts and scientists in basic research all over Germany are combined in NGFN for a systematical approach in interdisciplinary cooperations. Projects with high relevance for medical research are going to increase the international competitiveness of German disease-oriented genome research. The GSF-Institute of Epidemiology is involved in various aspects of the NGFN and contributes to the following parts of the network:
- Genetic Epidemiology in Environmental Health, Munich
- Project: Phenotype resource management and quality control
- Genetic Epidemiology of Nervous System Diseases, Munich
- Project: Recruitment for Parkinsons Disease and Alzheimers Disease
- Genetic Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases, Munich
- Project: Metabolic, inflammatory and genetic factors contributing to the early onset and major complications of cardiovascular diseases
- Project: Genetic epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases
- Genetic Epidemiology of Obesity and Related Disorders, Munich
- Project: Genetic analyses of obesity (NGFN-Project)
- Genome Analysis Center (GAC), Munich
- Centers for Genetic Epidemiological Methods (GEM), Munich
- Project: KORA-gen: infrastructure to provide phenotypes, genotypes and biosamples for collaborative genetic epidemiological research
- Project: Genetic Epidemiology of Longitudinal Complex Phenotypes
- Project: Haplotypes for Association Analyses
- Project: Assessing the Genetic Heterogeneity in Epidemiological Studies