Genetic Studies
Price Foundation Candidate Gene Project
A multi-site, international collaborative group of investigators is studying the genetics of anorexia and bulimia nervosa. These collaborative studies have generated a substantial amount of data on the clinical phenomena and genetics of eating disorders.
The primary purpose of this second generation Price Foundation study is to evaluate specific candidate genes that may play a role in the genetic susceptibility to eating disorders by performing genetic association studies. Secondary analyses will be performed investigating various behavioral and psychological phenotypes.
Between 1996 and 2002, the Price Foundation sponsored the collection of approximately 2000 participants with anorexia and bulimia nervosa, 2000 parents, and 750 control women. To date, this project has generated over 35 publications that help to establish the role of genetics in eating disorder vulnerability.
The primary approach includes the assessment of 6568 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within 190 genes in 1218 cases with a lifetime history of anorexia nervosa and 750 unrelated controls, and is currently under way. The candidate gene selection for the genetic association studies was based on previous genomewide linkage findings and expert consensus.
Support of the Price Foundation is acknowledged.