The sequencing of the human genome has brought human genetics into a new era of study resulting in the generation of an explosive amount of information. Application of genomic, proteomic, and bioinformatics technologies to the study of human genetics has made it possible for human genetic diseases to be studied on an unprecedented scale, both in silico and in the wet lab. This volume provides up-to-date coverage of the broad range of research topics in this fascinating area. In the first part of the book, a whole spectrum of approaches to human genetics research is reviewed for both background and the latest progress. In the second, important topics related to genetic research of various complex human diseases are discussed. The robust content and diverse array of subjects allow the book to serve as both a concise ¿encyclopedia¿ that introduces basic and essential concepts of human genetics and an in-depth review of the current understanding of genetic research in human diseases.

Approaches: Genetic Epidemiology; Animal Models; Functional Genomics; Bioinformatics; Applications in Human Diseases: Non-Mendelian Inheritance; RNA Metabolism and Human Diseases; Osteoporosis: The Genetic Factor; Critical Molecules in Bone Development and Genetic Bone Diseases; Genetic Factors for Human Type 1 Diabetes; Genetic Susceptibility to Human Obesity; Genes in Estrogen Metabolism Pathway and Breast Cancer; Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer; The Activation of Wnt Signaling in Tumor Development; Genetic and Genomic Studies of Psychiatric Disorders; Genetics of Autoimmune Diseases: MHC and Beyond; Genetics of Substance Dependence; Genetics of the Metabolic Syndrome; Genetics of Intracellular Traffic Jams: Multi-Organellar Defects.