British Scientists Identify 10 New Gene Regions Where DNA Changes are Linked to Risk to Type 2 Diabetes

British scientists have uncovered 10 new gene regions where DNA changes are linked to Type 2 diabetes. The discovery brings nearer the science community of a biological understanding of the ailment.

A better understanding of the biological processes is the body to target is one of the keys to coming up with new medication for diabetes, which has registered millions of new diagnoses globally in the past few years.

Professor Mark McCarthy of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics of the Oxford University and lead author of the study said the 10 new gene regions are the result of DA analysis of 35,000 people with Type 2 diabetes and 115,000 healthy people. He said the centre will look at all gene regions together for the signature of the types of genes that influence the risk for Type 2 diabetes.

"We see genes involved in controlling the process of cell growth, division and ageing, particularly those that are active in the pancreas where insulin is produced. We see genes involved in pathways through which the body's fat cells can influence biological processes elsewhere in the body. And we see a set of transcription factor genes - genes that help control what other genes are active," Mr McCarthy was quoted by Press Association.

The study was published in the Nature Genetics journal.

Another study about the ailment published in Diabetes Care found that mini epidemics of Type 1 diabetes happen among Australian children every five year. The study was based on observations in Western Australia over 25 years. It found a rise in incidents of the ailment based on a pattern of even flow of peaks and troughs. The difference between high and low years was up to 20 per cent.

Professor Tim Jones, one of the co-authors said that the increase in Type 1 diabetes incidents was accompanied by hikes in allergies which may indicate similar underlying causes. He theorised multiple triggers, including environmental factors such as viruses and toxins.

He added that the peaks could be the result of cycles when the viruses are dominant, similar to patterns of cold and flu viruses which have different strains common each year.