home   genetic news   bioinformatics   biotechnology   literature   journals   ethics   positions   events   sitemap
 
  HUM-MOLGEN -> Genetic News | search  
 

Zooming In On Diabetes Susceptibility

 
  November, 28 2007 22:21
your information resource in human molecular genetics
 
     
A sizeable section of human chromosome 6 - known as the MHC complex - contains more genes associated with common diseases than any other area of the genome, particularly autoimmune diseases like juvenile (type 1) diabetes. A paper in Nature uses newly available technology and huge numbers of patients to reveal two MHC genes that are implicated in the development of childhood diabetes.

Joanna Howson and co-workers analyse the MHC genes of 850 sibling pairs from the UK and USA, and then replicated the analysis in independent study sets from the UK and also used additional controls from the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium, together totalling thousands of cases and controls.

Other MHC genes encoding members of a different protein group known as class II have been implicated in diabetes susceptibility before. But, by pinpointing disease association to the new class I genes HLA-A and HLA-B, the authors can suggest roles for the encoded proteins in mediating destruction of pancreatic islet cells and accelerating the onset of the disease.

The authors also suggest that their discovery points the way towards vaccination strategies to protect against these rogue proteins and prevent development of type 1 diabetes.

CONTACT

Joanne Howson (Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, UK)
E-mail: joanna.howson@cimr.cam.ac.uk

Abstract available online.

(C) Nature press release.


Message posted by: Trevor M. D'Souza

print this article mail this article
Latest News
Variants Associated with Pediatric Allergic Disorder

Mutations in PHF6 Found in T-Cell Leukemia

Genetic Risk Variant for Urinary Bladder Cancer

Antibody Has Therapeutic Effect on Mice with ALS

Regulating P53 Activity in Cancer Cells

Anti-RNA Therapy Counters Breast Cancer Spread

Mitochondrial DNA Diversity

The Power of RNA Sequencing

‘Pro-Ageing' Therapy for Cancer?

Niche Genetics Influence Leukaemia

Molecular Biology: Clinical Promise for RNA Interference

Chemoprevention Cocktail for Colon Cancer

more news ...

Generated by News Editor 2.0 by Kai Garlipp
WWW: Kai Garlipp, Frank S. Zollmann.
7.0 © 1995-2023 HUM-MOLGEN. All rights reserved. Liability, Copyright and Imprint.