T_Dia
04-18-2008, 02:54 PM
Despite great strides in human genetic research, little is known about targets for prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes, said David Altshuler, MD, PhD.
The hope is that identifying targets will improve success rates, according to Altshuler, director, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Harvard Medical School.
?This is going to take 20 years,? he said. ?The success rate is not going to jump from 5% to 100%. If it went from 5% to 10% that would actually have a profound impact.?
Still, the world of genetics is moving forward. Last year marked the discovery of novel, reproducible single nucleotide polymorphism associations in type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, prostate cancer and rheumatoid arthritis and other common diseases. Presently, geneticists and researchers, including Altshuler, are studying these single nucleotide polymorphism associations to develop new targets for therapies and prevention. For example, drug targets PPARG and KCNJ11 for type 2 diabetes.
Now, there are 16 loci confirmed for type 2 diabetes; before 2006 there were just two, according to Altshuler. Prior to the focus on targets, human genetics studies were limited to family-based linkage studies and candidate gene association studies, but neither has been successful for type 2 diabetes.
?For the first time, we have methods giving us inherited contributors to human diseases. We should not ignore these clues,? he said. However, the debate remains about the typing of them immediately in populations.?
Full Article (http://www.endocrinetoday.com/view.aspx?rid=27726).
The hope is that identifying targets will improve success rates, according to Altshuler, director, Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Harvard Medical School.
?This is going to take 20 years,? he said. ?The success rate is not going to jump from 5% to 100%. If it went from 5% to 10% that would actually have a profound impact.?
Still, the world of genetics is moving forward. Last year marked the discovery of novel, reproducible single nucleotide polymorphism associations in type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, prostate cancer and rheumatoid arthritis and other common diseases. Presently, geneticists and researchers, including Altshuler, are studying these single nucleotide polymorphism associations to develop new targets for therapies and prevention. For example, drug targets PPARG and KCNJ11 for type 2 diabetes.
Now, there are 16 loci confirmed for type 2 diabetes; before 2006 there were just two, according to Altshuler. Prior to the focus on targets, human genetics studies were limited to family-based linkage studies and candidate gene association studies, but neither has been successful for type 2 diabetes.
?For the first time, we have methods giving us inherited contributors to human diseases. We should not ignore these clues,? he said. However, the debate remains about the typing of them immediately in populations.?
Full Article (http://www.endocrinetoday.com/view.aspx?rid=27726).