The UK Adult Twin Registry (TwinsUK Resource)

TLDR

TwinsUK is a nationwide UK twin registry of approximately 12,000 volunteers, predominantly female and middle‑aged, that provides extensive phenotypic and multi‑omics data. Its primary aim is to elucidate the genetic basis of healthy aging and complex diseases, including cardiovascular, metabolic, musculoskeletal, and ophthalmologic disorders. Over two decades, the cohort has amassed questionnaires, biosamples, and three comprehensive phenotyping assessments, and now incorporates genome‑wide scans, next‑generation sequencing, epigenetic profiling, transcriptomics, telomere length measurements, metabolomics, and gut microbiome analyses. Researchers can freely access portions of the phenotype data through the TwinsUK website and are invited to collaborate.

Abstract

TwinsUK is a nation-wide registry of volunteer twins in the United Kingdom, with about 12,000 registered twins (83% female, equal number of monozygotic and dizygotic twins, predominantly middle-aged and older). Over the last 20 years, questionnaire and blood/urine/tissue samples have been collected on over 7,000 subjects, as well as three comprehensive phenotyping assessments in the clinical facilities of the Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London. The primary focus of study has been the genetic basis of healthy aging process and complex diseases, including cardiovascular, metabolic, musculoskeletal, and ophthalmologic disorders. Alongside the detailed clinical, biochemical, behavioral, and socio-economic characterization of the study population, the major strength of TwinsUK is availability of several 'omics' technologies for the participants. These include genome-wide scans of single nucleotide variants, next-generation sequencing, exome sequencing, epigenetic markers (MeDIP sequencing), gene expression arrays and RNA sequencing, telomere length measures, metabolomic profiles, and gut flora microbiomics. The scientific community now can freely access parts of the phenotype data from the 'TwinsUK', and interested researchers are encouraged to contact us via our Web site (www.twinsuk.ac.uk) for future collaborations.