| [ Summary ] |
Bone mass is believed to be determined by multiple genetic a life-style related factors. Because osteoporosis is based on the low bone mass, this disease is one of the polygene diseases. In other words, the search for the genes determining bone mass is a search for the genes of osteoporosis. Following an association study of vitamin D receptor genes and bone mineral density, many studies including association studies and sib-pari analyses have been done. However, major genetic determinants have not been discovered yet. Further studies are required based on recent progress in genome science. |