Genetic Flaws Leads to Diabetes

After much research four separate scientific teams have found that there are more genes that are linked to type2 diabetes.

After much research four separate scientific teams have found that there are more genes that are linked to type2 diabetes. This discovery has made us inch closer to finding out the real genetic cause of diabetes.

The discovery of Human Genome some years ago had paved the way for many researches into genes being the cause of many common diseases. “This represents sort of a landmark moment in type II diabetes research” said Michael Boehnke, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, who led the so-called FUSION study, which included investigators from several American sites, the National Human Genome Research Institute, and the Finnish National Public Health Institute.

The results show the power of the genome wide association in finding genetic variation in the disease. The three group had different groups of participants with or with out the type 2 diabetes. They were checked using microchip array technique to scan and evaluate their genome.

With the different results the teams collaborated together to study the result in a larger cohort. Thus they have created a large data base of information involving different types of population.

At the moment there are more than 20 million Americans with diabetes and many more at the risk of acquiring it. With this discovery preventive medicine can be tailor made according to an individual genetic make up. Some genetic areas that are in no way connected to diabetes have been discovered but which harms the body’s ability to control the blood sugar and cause heart disease paving the way to early death.

Genetic defects accounts for half the risk of a person getting diabetes. The other factors are the external factors like obesity and lack of exercise.

The three variations they found are near genes that appear to be related to regulation of insulin, which controls blood sugar, and to growth of the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. In diabetes, the body becomes resistant to insulin or fails to make enough insulin, causing a problematic build-up of sugar in the blood stream. The actual effect of the genetic defects has yet to be determined.

Professor Andrew Hattersley of the Peninsula Medical School, said: "We now have significantly more pieces to the jigsaw that will help us understand the mechanisms behind type 2 diabetes."

Source-Medindia
BIN/M