HAPLOGENDIS initiative - SICA

In response to increasing interest of the European Commission on large-scale genotyping for complex diseases, including variability in ethnic minorities in Europe (HEALTH-2009-4.3.3-1), at the end of 2008 we composed the HAPLOGENDIS consortium with partners from Russia and European countries. A first program (SICA) was proposed in cooperation with Russian Federal Agency for Science and Innovation, focusing on comparative population genetics on diseases accompanied by insulin resistance. Beside the specificity in analyzing the human genome with SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) and defining haplotype structure of genes, the program rises new hypotheses which directly link colonization of Europe at the Neolithic period from Eastern Ukraine or Anatolia with the development of agriculture and major dietary and life style changes that may have an impact on the genome. Although there will be many occasions to review both genetic and clinical detailed aspects, this short note will expose some unifying ideas that joint these partners.