System and method for identifying disease-influencing genes

Abstract

A system and method for using individuals' behavioral and environmental information in conjunction with their gene sequences to find drug candidates and drug targets. Individuals designated as having a high risk for developing a particular disease are each given a remotely programmable apparatus. Queries related to the individuals' behavior and environment are sent from a server to the remotely programmable apparatuses. The individuals' responses to the queries and any physiological information are sent back to the server. The process of collecting individuals' information can take place over a period of time to ensure accurate data and to allow researchers to observe progression of the disease. A data mining program on the server analyzes the individuals' behavioral and environmental information, as well as their gene sequences.

1 . A method for generating groups of individuals useful in researching influence of a disease on said individuals, comprising:
 selecting individuals having a risk factor for a disease;   providing to each individual a communications apparatus;   transmitting a computer program containing queries and predefined response choices to said communications apparatus, wherein said computer program when executed causes said communications apparatus to present said queries and predefined response choices to each individual via a touch sensitive display of said communications apparatus and collect responses to said queries, including at least one of the predefined response choices presented on the display of the communications apparatus, from each individual via said touch sensitive display of the communications apparatus;   receiving said responses to the queries from the individuals through the apparatus, said responses communicating information about the individuals;   storing the responses of each individual in a database;   defining a plurality of groups by categorizing the individuals having similar profiles based on the responses, wherein categorizing the individuals into groups includes one or more phenotypic classifications;   after defining said groups, receiving genotype information representative of individuals in each of said groups;   comparing said genotype information between said groups; and   generating a report for presentation on a display that represents a subset of said genotype information associated with each of said groups, wherein differences in said genotype information between said groups is expressed in terms of phenotypic classifications.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the queries are inserted into said computer program with a script generator and assigned to an individual using a script assignor. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more phenotypic classifications comprise one or more of behavioral, environmental, and disease progression. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the communication apparatus is connectable with a monitoring device configured to acquire physiologic data. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the monitoring device includes one of the set consisting of a blood glucose meter, a respiratory flow meter, a blood pressure cuff, a weight scale, and a pulse rate monitor. 
     
     
         6 . The method according  claim 1 , wherein the responses to the queries from the individuals communicate environmental information about the individuals. 
     
     
         7 . The method according  claim 6 , wherein the environmental information comprises one or more of non-genetic information about an individual, information about disease progression, information about diet, information about lifestyle, and information about geographical location. 
     
     
         8 . The method according  claim 1 , wherein the queries contained in said computer program are related to one or both of behavior and environment of each individual. 
     
     
         9 . A system for generating groups of individuals useful in researching influence of a disease on said individuals, comprising:
 a communications apparatus operable by an individual; and   a communication network in signal communication with the communications apparatus and a server, a workstation configured to send scripted queries and predefined response choices, a genotyping system configured to provide genotype information representative of the individual, and a patient profile system configured to receive responses from the individual and genotype information analyses via the communications network and the server, wherein the server transmits a computer program containing the scripted queries and predefined response choices to the communications apparatus, the computer program when executed causes the communications apparatus to present the scripted queries and predefined response choices to the individual via a touch sensitive display of said communications apparatus and collect responses to the queries containing information about the individual and at least one of the predefined response choices presented on the touch sensitive display of said communications apparatus,   wherein the genotype information is compared based upon groups formed by categorizing individuals having a risk factor for a disease using the responses to the scripted queries in the patient profile system to identify one or more individuals having similar profiles, wherein categorizing the individuals into groups includes one or more phenotypic classifications, and differences in said genotype information between said groups is expressed in terms of phenotypic classifications.   
     
     
         10 . The system according  claim 9 , wherein the responses from the individual are used to categorize the individual into one or more groups and the one or more groups are compared with the genotype information of the individual to categorize said genotype information according to disease progression. 
     
     
         11 . The system according  claim 10 , wherein the disease progression includes non-insulin dependent diabetes. 
     
     
         12 . The system according  claim 9 , wherein the one or more phenotypic classifications comprise one or more of behavioral, environmental, and disease progression. 
     
     
         13 . A system for identifying groups of individuals useful in researching influence of disease on said individuals, comprising:
 at least one communications apparatus in signal communication with a monitoring device configured to measure physiologic and environmental conditions, the communications apparatus and monitoring device being operable by at least one individual; and   a communication network in signal communications with each communications apparatus and a server, a workstation configured to send scripted queries and predefined response choices, a genotyping system configured to provide genotype information representative of the at least one individual, and a patient profile system configured to receive responses and measurements from the at least one individual and genotype information analyses via the communications network and the server, wherein the server transmits a computer program containing the scripted queries and predefined response choices to the communication apparatus, the computer program when executed causes the communication apparatus to present the scripted queries and predefined response choices to the individual via a touch sensitive display of the communications apparatus and collect responses to the queries containing information about the individual and at least one of the predefined response choices presented on the touch sensitive display of said communications apparatus,   wherein the genotype information representative of the at least one individual is compared based upon groups formed by categorizing individuals having a risk factor for a disease using the responses and measurements to the scripted queries in the patient profile system to identify one or more individuals having similar profiles, wherein categorizing the individuals into groups includes one or more phenotypic classifications, and differences in said genotype information between said groups is expressed in terms of phenotypic classifications.   
     
     
         14 . The system according  claim 13 , wherein the monitoring device includes one of the set consisting of a blood glucose meter, a respiratory flow meter, a blood pressure cuff, a weight scale, and a pulse rate monitor. 
     
     
         15 . The system according  claim 13 , wherein the responses and measurements from each individual are used to categorized each individual with one or more groups and the groups are compared with the genotype information representative of each individual to categorize the genotype information according to disease progression of each individual in the one or more groups based on the responses and measurements sent by each individual. 
     
     
         16 . The system according  claim 15 , wherein the disease progression includes non-insulin dependent diabetes. 
     
     
         17 . The system according  claim 13 , wherein the one or more phenotypic classifications comprise one or more of behavioral, environmental, and disease progression.