TIGR, TGFB1, cMET, HGF, Collagen Genes, and Myopia

The candidate gene approach is a feasible and widely employed method in our search for disease genes. This approach has resulted in the identification of many putative ‘susceptibility genes’ of which a majority could not be subsequently replicated. This chapter summarizes recent findings in the field of refractive error genetics, and proceeds to highlight some of the prominent findings, which include the successful validation of MYP2, MYP3, and COL2A1 as myopia susceptibility loci. The inherent weaknesses of this approach, as well as the caveats to be mindful of in future studies, are touched upon in the discussion.