Advancing stroke genomic research in the age of Trans-Omics big data science: Emerging priorities and opportunities

Mayowa Owolabi; Emmanuel Peprah; Huichun Xu; Rufus Akinyemi; Hemant K Tiwari; Marguerite R Irvin; Kolawole Wasiu Wahab; Donna K Arnett; Bruce Ovbiagele

doi:10.1016/j.jns.2017.09.021

Advancing stroke genomic research in the age of Trans-Omics big data science: Emerging priorities and opportunities

J Neurol Sci. 2017 Nov 15:382:18-28. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2017.09.021. Epub 2017 Sep 18.

Authors

Mayowa Owolabi¹, Emmanuel Peprah², Huichun Xu³, Rufus Akinyemi⁴, Hemant K Tiwari⁵, Marguerite R Irvin⁶, Kolawole Wasiu Wahab⁷, Donna K Arnett⁸, Bruce Ovbiagele⁹

Affiliations

¹ Center for Genomic and Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; Department of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. Electronic address: mayowaowolabi@yahoo.com.
² Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
³ Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁴ Center for Genomic and Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; Institute for Advanced Medical Research and Training, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; Department of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
⁵ Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
⁶ Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
⁷ Department of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
⁸ College of Public Health, University of Kentucky at Lexington, USA.
⁹ Department of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA.

Abstract

Background: We systematically reviewed the genetic variants associated with stroke in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and examined the emerging priorities and opportunities for rapidly advancing stroke research in the era of Trans-Omics science.

Methods: Using the PRISMA guideline, we searched PubMed and NHGRI- EBI GWAS catalog for stroke studies from 2007 till May 2017.

Results: We included 31 studies. The major challenge is that the few validated variants could not account for the full genetic risk of stroke and have not been translated for clinical use. None of the studies included continental Africans. Genomic study of stroke among Africans presents a unique opportunity for the discovery, validation, functional annotation, Trans-Omics study and translation of genomic determinants of stroke with implications for global populations. This is because all humans originated from Africa, a continent with a unique genomic architecture and a distinctive epidemiology of stroke; as well as substantially higher heritability and resolution of fine mapping of stroke genes.

Conclusion: Understanding the genomic determinants of stroke and the corresponding molecular mechanisms will revolutionize the development of a new set of precise biomarkers for stroke prediction, diagnosis and prognostic estimates as well as personalized interventions for reducing the global burden of stroke.

Keywords: African ancestry population; GWAS; Genetic research; Genomics; SNP; Stroke; Stroke epidemiology; Trans-omics.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Genomics
Humans
Stroke / genetics*

Grants and funding

U54 HG007479/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States