New Pathway Found To Type 2 Diabetes

A new pathway to type 2 diabetes has been discovered by researchers who have identified a major susceptibility gene for this disease. When fully understood, the pathway could lead to new approaches to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Meanwhile, the approach used to identify the gene could be applied to other genetically complex disorders. Type 2, or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, is the most common form of diabetes. Like asthma, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and schizophrenia, it is a multifactorial disorder, with multiple genes playing a role. The contribution of any one gene is not very great, however. Identifying the genes involved in such diseases is one of the biggest challenges facing geneticists. In a pioneering effort, a multidisciplinary team led by the University of Chicago's Graeme I. Bell, a professor of biochemistry, molecular biology, and medicine, and Nancy J. Cox, an associate professor of human genetics, has identified a gene that affects susceptibility to type 2 di...