NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) - The University of Ottawa Heart Institute is using Affymetrix technology for whole-genome association studies of coronary artery disease, the company said today.
The institute will use Affy’s Genome-Wide Human SNP Array 6.0 over the next three years to screen the DNA of more than 12,000 people to identify associations that could help in the development of personalized treatments for CAD.
UOHI President and CEO Robert Roberts said that the institute’s research will “enable scientists to isolate, understand and target the trail of genetic activity that causes coronary artery disease, the leading killer in America.”
Affy said that earlier this year UOHI researchers used its microarray technology to identify a DNA sequence associated with a 40 percent greater risk of heart disease. The research found that individuals with two copies of this variant had a 30 percent to 40 percent higher risk of heart disease, and those with one copy had an increased risk of around 15 percent to 20 percent.
Financial terms of the agreement were not released.