Type 2 Diabetes Genes Identified

By Brandie Umar - Executive Director of Content | June 27th, 2010

A group of researchers from Europe, the UK, Canada and the USA have identified 12 new genes linked to type 2 diabetes, raising the total number of genes connected to the condition to 38.

The international research team studied the DNA of over 70,000 people with and without the blood-sugar condition to identify the 12 genes. The identification of these genes offers greater insight into type 2 diabetes, which affects over 180 million people worldwide. The researchers, led by Professor McCarthy at Oxford University, hope the new insight into the causes of type 2 diabetes will allow progress to be made in finding a cure for the disease.

Type 2 diabetes is commonly known as "adult onset" diabetes and affects 90% of diabetics. Type 2 diabetes develops when the body fails to respond to insulin which is used by the body to regulate blood sugar levels.

Type 2 diabetes leads to a number of serious health complications and patients with this form of diabetes are at high risk of falling into a diabetic coma.

Individually the genes identified by the research team do not play major roles in understanding how type 2 diabetes develops, however the combined understanding of the impact of these 12 genes combined with the 26 genes previously identified could have a significant impact on future of treatment of diabetes.

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