The bloodline

True, prevention is better than cure, but what about inherited diseases? To tackle the problem of a particular disease going on in families, the National Institute of Health and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, US, will set up a centre for inherited disease research. The project which will analyse the genotypes of thousands of people whose families are afflicted by inherited diseases is expected to go ahead in autumn. The centre will get about 5,000 DNA samples every year. These samples will be analysed and stored and researchers will be able to use the database to study the genetic components of diseases such as alcoholism, autism, breast cancer and schizophrenia ( New Scientist , Vol 150, No 2032).