¾«¶«´«Ã½

ANCIENT they may be, but the Icelandic sagas could provide new insights
into the genetic causes of many common diseases. A company called deCode
Genetics, based in Reykjavik, has been set up to take advantage of Iceland’s
unique combination of fastidious record keeping—which has its origins in
the medieval sagas—and the population’s extremely low genetic variability.
These two factors make Iceland an ideal place to search for disease
genes.

The 270 000 Icelanders alive today are almost all descended from a small
group of Norwegian pioneers who colonised the island in the 9th century. To
identify genes connected with particular diseases, geneticists study families
with a history of the condition. They compare DNA sequences of affected family
members with those from healthy relatives, looking for unusual sequences in
affected people that might turn out to be the defective genes. Identifying the
disease genes is much easier if the population as a whole shares very similar
DNA.

Medical and family records in Iceland are among the best in the world, and
extend back for centuries. For instance, deCode Genetics has shown that 107 of
Iceland’s 1200 asthmatics can trace their ancestry to a single individual who
lived 11 generations ago.

Already, the company’s 55 researchers believe they are close to discovering a
gene linked to multiple sclerosis. They are also hot on the trail of genes for
inflammatory bowel disease, insulin-dependent diabetes and psoriasis, says
Kári Stefansson, deCode’s president.

Stefansson hopes that his company, which has been financed by venture capital
from the US and Europe, will boost the country’s economy. “Iceland traditionally
lives by fish alone, so there’s a tremendous need to diversify into new
industries,” he says.

Although many companies around the world possess automated DNA sequencing
machines, the technology is often not the limiting factor. “The scarce resource
is not technology or gene sequences, it’s access to the right populations,” says
Stefansson.

John Todd, a specialist in the genetics of diabetes at the University of
Oxford, says that geneticists worldwide have been trying to get their hands on
Icelandic DNA samples. “The Icelanders have repelled all these invaders and
decided to do it themselves,” he says.

DeCode is now negotiating with some of the world’s largest pharmaceuticals
companies, which hope to use deCode’s genetic insights to design new drugs.
Stefansson would like these deals to reward Icelanders for the genetic
information they are providing. “I think it’s very likely that partners will be
asked to donate drugs or offer services at lower prices than usual to the
population,” says Stefansson.