In closing, this data-driven, collaborative meta-analysis has demonstrated a modest protective effect of the G allele of rs1799971 on general liability to substance dependence. This work highlights the benefits of jointly studying related disorders: larger samples and insight into factors involved in underlying shared liability. An important strength of our approach is that the analyses of our datasets were designed and conducted in collaboration with the originating investigators. Thus, we benefited from collaborators' deep knowledge of their own data and our combined expertise on addiction. This effort underscores the value of collaboratively sharing data and expertise to accelerate discoveries.
