Developmental origins of genotype-phenotype correlations in chronic diseases of old age

In recent years, genome wide association studies have revolutionized the understanding of the genetic architecture of complex disease, particularly in the context of disorders that present in old age, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This new era is made all the more compelling by the fact that, through extensive validation efforts, there is now very strong consensus among human geneticists on what the key loci are that contribute to the pathogenesis of these traits. However, as these variants have been almost exclusively uncovered in an adult setting, there is the question of when these genetic variants start exerting their effects; indeed many may start setting up an individual’s predisposition to a disease of old age very early on in life. To this end, we review what breakthroughs have been made in elucidating which of these genetic factors are operating in childhood and conversely what discoveries have actually been made in the pediatric setting that have then been found subsequently to increase one’s risk of a late-onset disease. After all, it well known that complex traits like obesity, type 2 diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease are strongly determined by genetic factors, but the isolation of genes in these complex phenotypes in adults has been impeded by interaction with strong environmental factors. Distillation of the genetic component in these complex traits, which will at least partially have origins in childhood, should be easier to determine in a pediatric setting, where the relatively short period of a child’s lifetime limits the impact of environmental exposure.