A recent paper has identified the enhancer ETS2, located in a so-called gene desert, as a contributor to five separate immune disorders. It also showed that one of ETS2’s target genes mediating this inflammation was the eminently druggable MEK, a kinase that is the target of the FDA-approved inhibitors Mekinist (trametinib, GSK plc), Mektovi (binimetinib, Array Biopharma Inc.), Cotellic (cobimetinib, Roche Holding AG) and Koselugo (selumetinib, Astrazeneca plc/Merck & Co. Inc.).

Primary open-angle glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness globally. Individuals of African ancestry have a disproportionately high risk of developing glaucoma, but genetic risk factors have been studied mainly in populations of European ancestry.

The largest genetic analysis of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) carried out to date has identified almost 100 new risk variants linked to the disorder. The study also highlighted a possible therapeutic target for this pathology that, at the moment, has no treatment. AAA affects 4% of people over 65 years of age in the U.S. and causes 41,000 deaths per year. The incidence is three to four times higher in men than in women.