From genes to treatments: progress in type 2 diabetes genetics
Obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and poor diet and lack of exercise receive the bulk of the blame for type 2 diabetes. These aren’t the only factors that lead to this complex disease, though. The genes you inherited from your parents also play a role in how likely you are to develop diabetes.
Genetic researchers are making significant progress in identifying genes that are linked to type 2 diabetes. They are using cutting-edge technology to compare the genetic makeup of diabetic patients to that of non-diabetic control subjects. It takes multiple studies of large numbers of patients to determine whether a particular gene or section of DNA actually influences diabetes. A few genes have already withstood this rigorous analysis, and these genetic discoveries have led to some actual therapies.
PPAR-gamma is one such gene. It encodes a protein that is expressed primarily by fat cells. Having a defect in PPAR-gamma is tied to insulin resistance. Thiazolidinedione drugs target PPAR-gamma, and work by improving the body’s response to insulin.
Sulfonylurea drugs target the protein product of the KCNJ11 gene. The beta cells of the pancreas make this protein, which is involved in regulating the secretion of insulin by these cells.
In the past couple of years, a new technology called genome-wide association scanning (GWAS) has sped up the process of discovery in type 2 genetics. GWAS takes advantage of the vast amount of new knowledge that came from the human genome project. Just last month, the results of a new study using GWAS brought the number of genetic variations known to contribute to type 2 diabetes to 16. Two years ago, this number was only 3, so things are moving quickly.
It’s still a long process to translate genetic discoveries to disease therapies, though. In the case of type 2 diabetes, each susceptibility gene or genetic region only increases the risk of getting the disease by a small amount. It’s the complex interplay between genetic risk and lifestyle factors that actually determines whether you’ll get diabetes, so targeting just one gene is often not enough to have an effect.
In the meantime, it’s possible for you to help in the research process by volunteering to participate in a study. Many studies simply require a small blood sample. Find an institution near you that’s doing diabetes research, and ask them if they’re looking for study participants. Check out the clinical trials database from the National Institutes of Health. Even if you don’t have diabetes, you may still be able to help, since most trials also involve healthy controls.
Genetic researchers are making significant progress in identifying genes that are linked to type 2 diabetes. They are using cutting-edge technology to compare the genetic makeup of diabetic patients to that of non-diabetic control subjects. It takes multiple studies of large numbers of patients to determine whether a particular gene or section of DNA actually influences diabetes. A few genes have already withstood this rigorous analysis, and these genetic discoveries have led to some actual therapies.
PPAR-gamma is one such gene. It encodes a protein that is expressed primarily by fat cells. Having a defect in PPAR-gamma is tied to insulin resistance. Thiazolidinedione drugs target PPAR-gamma, and work by improving the body’s response to insulin.
Sulfonylurea drugs target the protein product of the KCNJ11 gene. The beta cells of the pancreas make this protein, which is involved in regulating the secretion of insulin by these cells.
In the past couple of years, a new technology called genome-wide association scanning (GWAS) has sped up the process of discovery in type 2 genetics. GWAS takes advantage of the vast amount of new knowledge that came from the human genome project. Just last month, the results of a new study using GWAS brought the number of genetic variations known to contribute to type 2 diabetes to 16. Two years ago, this number was only 3, so things are moving quickly.
It’s still a long process to translate genetic discoveries to disease therapies, though. In the case of type 2 diabetes, each susceptibility gene or genetic region only increases the risk of getting the disease by a small amount. It’s the complex interplay between genetic risk and lifestyle factors that actually determines whether you’ll get diabetes, so targeting just one gene is often not enough to have an effect.
In the meantime, it’s possible for you to help in the research process by volunteering to participate in a study. Many studies simply require a small blood sample. Find an institution near you that’s doing diabetes research, and ask them if they’re looking for study participants. Check out the clinical trials database from the National Institutes of Health. Even if you don’t have diabetes, you may still be able to help, since most trials also involve healthy controls.
Tags: diabetes, genetics, type 2 diabetes
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Comment by Jolyn on April 21, 2008 at 11:53pm - Thank you for this fascinating update, Emily. This is such a complex area of science and you've made it much clearer. Do you know what the approximate chances are of getting diabetes if you have one parent who has it and you've kept a good diet and exercise regularly? How about a grandparent? How often should people with diabetes in the family be tested?
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