Genomic analysis reveals cellular cause of type 1 diabetes
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Combining two genomic methodologies, researchers have shown that pancreatic exocrine cells are implicated in type 1 diabetes.
By mapping its genetic underpinnings, researchers at University of California, San Diego, US, have identified a predictive causal role for specific cell types in type 1 diabetes.
According to the researchers, type 1 diabetes is characterised by the impairment and loss of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells and subsequent hyperglycemia. The mechanisms of type 1 diabetes, including how autoimmunity is triggered, are poorly understood. Due to its strong genetic component, numerous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been conducted in recent years where researchers compare whole genomes of persons with the same disease or condition. In the case of type 1 diabetes, identified at-risk variants have largely been found in the non-coding regions of the genome.