NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre

Enabling translational research through partnership

MENUMENU
  • About
    • About the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre
    • A Guide to What We Do
    • Activities during COVID-19
    • Strategic Partnership Board
    • Steering Committee
    • Promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Research
    • Current Vacancies
    • Contact Us
    • Stay in Touch
  • Research
        • OUR 20 RESEARCH THEMES

        • Antimicrobial Resistance and Modernising Microbiology
        • Cardiovascular
        • Clinical Informatics and Big Data
        • Diabetes and Metabolism
        • Gastroenterology and Mucosal Immunity
        • Genomic Medicine
        • Haematology and Stem Cells
        • Imaging
        • Molecular Diagnostics
        • Multi-Modal Cancer Therapies
        • Multi-Morbidity and Long-Term Conditions
        • Musculoskeletal
        • Neurological Conditions
        • Obesity, Diet and Lifestyle
        • Partnerships for Health, Wealth and Innovation
        • Respiratory
        • Stroke and Vascular Dementia
        • Surgical Innovation and Evaluation
        • Technology and Digital Health
        • Vaccines for Emerging and Endemic Diseases
        • Oxford Biomedical Research Centre activities during COVID-19
  • Patient & Public Involvement
    • Getting involved with research
    • Researcher Guidance
    • Post an opportunity for patient and public involvement
  • Training Hub
    • Training Hub Overview
    • Clinical Academic Pathway
    • Internships
    • Preparatory Research Fellowships
    • Senior Research Fellowships
    • Research Training Bursaries
    • Doctoral Awards
    • Post-Doctoral Awards
    • Other funding
    • Leadership Training
    • Useful Links
    • Training and Education Resources
    • Upcoming Training Events & Courses
  • Industry
    • Collaborate with Oxford BRC
    • What Can We Do For Your Organisation?
    • Who Do We Work With?
    • IP and Licensing
    • Contacts for Industry
  • Videos
  • News
  • Events

News

You are here: Home > Diabetes and Metabolism > Genetics of type 2 diabetes revealed in unprecedented detail

Genetics of type 2 diabetes revealed in unprecedented detail

11 July 2016 · Listed under Diabetes and Metabolism, Other News

The largest study of its kind into type 2 diabetes has produced the most detailed picture to date of the genetics underlying the condition.

More than 300 scientists from 22 countries collaborated on the study, which analysed the genomes of more than 120,000 people with ancestral origins in Europe, South and East Asia, the Americas and Africa.

The findings, published today in Nature, identify several potential targets for new diabetes treatments, but also reveal the complexity of the disease that needs to be addressed by efforts to develop more personalised strategies for treatment and prevention.

The study was supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, a collaboration between the University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Type 2 diabetes is a growing threat to global health, with one in 10 people either having the disease or predicted to develop it during their lifetime. For any given individual, the risk of developing this form of diabetes is influenced by the pattern of genetic changes inherited from their parents, and environmental factors such as levels of exercise and choice of diet.

A better understanding of precisely how these factors contribute to type 2 diabetes will enable researchers to develop new ways of treating and preventing this condition, as well as offering the prospect for targeting those treatments towards those most likely to benefit, and those least likely to suffer harm.

Previous studies have identified over 80 areas in the genome that are associated with type 2 diabetes. However, these studies focused on the role of common DNA differences that appear frequently in the population, and they generally stopped short of identifying exactly which DNA sequence changes, or which specific genes, were responsible for this risk.

Today’s study explored the impact of changes in the DNA sequence on diabetes risk at a more detailed level. Some individuals had their entire genome sequenced while for others, sequencing was restricted to the part of the genome that codes directly for proteins (the exome).

Scientists compared the genetic variation between individuals who had type 2 diabetes and those who did not. This allowed them to test the contribution made by rare, ‘private’ DNA differences, as well as those that are common and shared between people.

They found that most of the genetic risk of type 2 diabetes can be attributed to common, shared differences in the genetic code, each of which contributes a small amount to an individual’s risk of disease. Some researchers had thought that genetic risk would instead be dominated by rare changes, unique to an individual and their relatives.

This finding means that future efforts to develop a personalised approach to treatment and prevention will need to be tailored toward an individual’s broader genetic profile, non-genetic risk factors and clinical features.

Researchers also identified over a dozen type 2 diabetes risk genes where the DNA sequence changes altered the composition of the proteins they encode. This implicates those specific genes and proteins directly in the development of type 2 diabetes.

One such variant – in the TM6SF2 gene – has been shown to alter the amount of fat stored in the liver, which in turn results in an increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes. Discoveries such as these point to new opportunities for developing drugs that might interrupt the development of the disease.

Mark McCarthy, from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at the University of Oxford, one of three senior authors on the paper, said: “This study highlights both the challenges we face, and the opportunities that exist, in resolving the complex processes underlying a disease such as type 2 diabetes. In this study, we have been able to highlight, with unprecedented precision, a number of genes directly involved in the development of type 2 diabetes. These represent promising avenues for efforts to design new ways to treat or prevent the disease.”

Joint senior author Professor Michael Boehnke, Richard G Cornell Distinguished University Professor of Biostatistics, Director, Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, added: “Our study has taken us to the most complete understanding yet of the genetic architecture of type 2 diabetes. With this in-depth analysis we have obtained a more complete picture of the number and characteristics of the genetic variants that influence type 2 diabetes risk.”

Data and discoveries generated through this project are available through the type 2 diabetes genetics portal (www.type2diabetesgenetics.org) developed as part of the Accelerating Medicines Partnership.

Jason Flannick, co-lead author and Senior Group Leader at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT and Research Associate at the Massachusetts General Hospital, said: “Our study tells us that genetic risk for type 2 diabetes reflects hundreds or even thousands of different genetic variants, most of them shared across populations. This large range of genetic effects may challenge efforts to deliver personalised (or precision) medicine. However, to ensure that these challenges can be taken up by the wider research community, we have made the data from our study publicly accessible for researchers around the world in the hope that this will accelerate efforts to understand, prevent and treat this condition.”

This research was funded by over 60 funders including the Wellcome Trust, the US National Institutes of Health, the UK Medical Research Council, and the European Commission.

← BRC researcher honoured for Africa radio project
Gene sequencing offers way to beat global spread of gonorrhoea →

News

  • Lymph nodes reveal more about mechanisms of autoimmunity 14 June 2022
  • Conference aims to forge collaborations to tackle dementia 9 June 2022
  • Lung function device wins top chemistry Prize 8 June 2022
See full news archive

News Categories

Month Archives

Subscribe to the Oxford BRC Newsletter

Keep informed about the work of the Oxford BRC by subscribing to our Mailchimp e-newsletter. It is produced several times a year and delivers news and information about upcoming events straight to your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Oxford BRC on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Feedback

We’d love to hear your feedback. Please contact us at obrcenquiries@ouh.nhs.uk

  • Sitemap
  • Data Control and Privacy
  • Accessibility
  • Our Partners
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact

Copyright © 2022 NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre