Type 2 diabetes and other common illnesses are being seen in a new light after researchers create a genome map that reveals which genes are turned 'on or 'off.' Researchers from Barcelona and the University of North Carolina discovered their realization in pancreatic islet cells. Since the pancreas produces insulin, understanding the genes behind the organ is important to blood sugar stabilization.
The pancreas (in the lower part of the stomach) makes insulin and enzymes that help the body digest and use food. Inside the pancreas, are cell clusters called islets of Langerhans. Islets are made up of several types of cells, including beta cells, which make insulin. (National Diabetes Information Clearing House)
The research reveals the first high-resolution map of genomes in the these cells, which are most important for the treatment and prevention of type II diabetes. The bottom line is discovering the genetic changes that cause the disease. If the genes can be altered, then treatment and prevention could change exponentially.
By narrowing 80,000 open chromatin sites within pancreatic islet cells to 3,300 clusters, the results revealed single genes that are in islet cells, 20 of these genes harbor gene types associated with type II diabetes. This research won't be limited to diabetes, they are also interested in discovering the genes associated with the immune system’s lymphocytes.
New research on diabetes is published daily. Just yesterday, a story about diagnosing diabetes came to the forefront stating that people will no longer have to fast and undergo invasive blood testing anymore, a new option is available. Living with diabetes is difficult, especially considering that millions of Americans suffer from it everyday, new studies reveal that people don't feel they're getting effective treatment from their doctors.
Another interesting factor about releasing this new gene evidence is how it will correlate with the new diabetes treatment drugs being released. Victoza, which was already approved, and Byetta, which is under review, are looking to make their prospective biotechnology companies millions in profits.
Written by Amy Munday
Huliq.com
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