About the project
UK Research and Innovation-funded researchers from The University of Edinburgh along with researchers from the University of Toronto, Canada and The Hospital for Sick Children, aim to identify genetic factors affecting pancreatic beta cell function. They will do this by studying C-peptide, a marker of residual insulin production measurable in blood.
The study shared data from large datasets like:
- the Scottish Diabetes Research Network Type 1 Bioresource
- the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial
- the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications
In doing so, the study allowed around 8,000 people with T1D to be analysed from five clinical studies which examined:
- risk factors of T1D complications like age of onset
- blood glucose control
- links to long-term complications
How it works
Research found that genetics influence residual insulin production, though most key genes remain unknown. This helped to understand how blood sugar control and pancreatic cell functions work in people with diabetes.
Finding the genetic factors involved was an important first step in uncovering how T1D progresses which could eventually lead to new treatments that could preserve or even restore insulin production.
Dr Athina Spiliopoulou, from the Usher Institute at The University of Edinburgh says:
We found that in type 1 diabetes, the genetic determinants of residual insulin production and disease risk are mostly different. Finding the genes involved in preserving pancreatic function is the first step to developing new drugs that can help reverse its loss or even prevent it from happening.
By understanding the genetic factors that affect beta cell function in people with T1D, diabetes management could be personalised, especially for those with a higher genetic risk for complications. This could mean developing new drugs to prevent or even reverse the loss of insulin-producing cells.
The genetic data could also help doctors identify which patients might benefit most from specific clinical trials which could make drug development faster and more efficient.
Impacts of the project
The approach used allowed for more consistent and accurate results, making it one of the most comprehensive studies on this topic to date.
Following this research, we now have a better understanding that certain genetic factors, beyond the control of people with T1D, may affect how well they can manage their diabetes.
The results help to lay the basis for treatments to preserve beta cell function, thus making it easier for people with T1D to manage their condition.
Future research
Through this research collaboration, it has also developed new analysis methods in bioinformatics which the team plan to apply in future projects, with the aim to understand the pathogenesis of T1D in the context of other autoimmune diseases.
In addition to the important publication generated from this research, this collaboration has augmented our research capacity. Our early-career researchers involved in this research have now either secured a research fellowship or are currently exploring funding opportunities across multiple disciplines to build on and utilise the novel methods developed in this project.
Further info
You can read more about the research in a paper which has been published in Diabetes.
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