Genetic association studies only are a first step in understanding the biology underlying alcohol dependence. An association represents a correlation with a tested variant (and all the untested correlated variants). These groups of associated SNPs often span many genes on a chromosome, and once a genetic association is confirmed the task is to investigate how these variants and the genes they are located in contribute to the biological mechanisms underlying disease development. The ultimate goal of understanding these biological mechanisms is to gain new insights into potential treatment approaches.
