The mouse as a model for human biology: a resource guide for complex trait analysis

Abstract
Mice and humans share 99% of their genes, and so share common diseases. Most common human diseases are complex, or polygenic. Rapidly growing genomic resources in the mouse facilitate complex trait analysis Extensive phenotypic differences exist between inbred strains of mice, as catalogued by the Mouse Phenome Project, Eumorphia Empress and the German Mouse Clinic. Together, mouse genome and phenome advances have provided the resources that are required to rapidly and cost-effectively identify QTLs and narrow QTL confidence intervals. Establishment of the Collaborative Cross promises to add tremendously to our ability to identify genes that underlie QTLs in the future.