The Human Gene Mutation Database: 2008 update

The Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD((R))) is a comprehensive core collection of germline mutations in nuclear genes that underlie or are associated with human inherited disease. Here, we summarize the history of the database and its current resources. By December 2008, the database contained over 85,000 different lesions detected in 3,253 different genes, with new entries currently accumulating at a rate exceeding 9,000 per annum. Although originally established for the scientific study of mutational mechanisms in human genes, HGMD has since acquired a much broader utility for researchers, physicians, clinicians and genetic counselors as well as for companies specializing in biopharmaceuticals,…