| abstract |
The invention provides novel methods for determining susceptibility for, diagnosing, and/or treating complex diseases such as autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer's disease, and schizophrenia. The novel methods are based upon the finding that the positioning of long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) in the genome can play an important role in the induction and progression of complex diseases. Specifically, the distance and interaction between a LINE such as the L1 element and a susceptibility gene associated with a complex diseases can provide information about the risk for the complex disease, and also provide novel targets for therapy. |