Mendelian Randomization Approaches to Explore Complex Disease Susceptibility and Comorbidity

Dear Colleagues, 

The identification of genetic markers for complex diseases has experienced an unprecedented advance in the past decade due to the implementation of both high-throughput genotyping and next-generation sequencing technologies in large study cohorts. However, the environmental risk factors and exposures that trigger the onset of such disorders in genetically predisposed individuals often remain unknown. Moreover, the molecular causes that predispose some specific individuals to disease comorbidities and complications remain obscure in the majority of the cases. Mendelian randomization methods rely on genetic variants as the instrumental variables with which to identify causal relationships between exposures and outcomes. The implementation of one-sample and two-sample Mendelian randomization studies on different complex diseases has proven fruitful for identifying the possible functional links between different risk factors and disease. This Special iIsue aims to compile original articles and reviews on the different uses of Mendelian randomization approaches to cast light on the molecular connection between environmental risk factors and comorbidities associated with complex human disorders, with a special focus on immune-mediated diseases. We aim to provide the research community with substantial studies that will increase our knowledge about the mechanisms connecting a specific environmental exposure or comorbidity with the onset and progression of a complex disease.

Topics of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:

• One-sample Mendelian randomization studies to identify the environmental risk factors of complex diseases
• Two-sample Mendelian randomization studies to identify environmental risk factors of complex diseases
• One-sample Mendelian randomization studies to characterize disease comorbidities
• Two-sample Mendelian randomization studies to characterize disease comorbidities
• Methodological development of Mendelian randomization approaches
• Mendelian randomization strategies on genome-wide association studies
• Mendelian randomization strategies on biobank datasets
• Mendelian randomization studies in non-European cohorts

Dr. Lara M. Bossini-Castillo
Guest Editor

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