Promoting comparative molecular studies in environmental health research: an overview of the comparative toxicogenomics database (CTD)

The etiology of many chronic diseases involves interactions between environmental factors and genes that regulate important physiological processes. These complex interactions define the field of toxicogenomics. Several major challenges include elucidating the molecular mechanisms of action of environmental chemicals, developing methods to predict toxicity effectively and understanding the genetic basis of differential susceptibility. The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) is being developed to help meet these challenges by facilitating comparative studies of toxicologically significant genes and proteins across diverse species. Genome-sequencing projects have led to a new way of thinking in biology, and promise to effect a better understanding of disease-associated genes. Our understanding of the sequence and its value, however, is limited by our ability to annotate and retrieve meaning from it.