Diabetes, heart disease linked by same genes: Study






According to a study, there could be a link between diabetes and coronary heart disease. the diseases appears to work in one direction so that risk genes for Type 2 diabetes are much more likely to be associated with higher coronary heart disease risk than the other way around.

Using evidence from human genetics, it should be possible to design drugs for Type-2 diabetes that have either beneficial or neutral effects on coronary heart disease risk. 

Researchers have identified gene variants that boost the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease — the leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, a finding that points to potential targets for common drugs.

While the study confirmed most of the known diabetes “risk loci” — sites on the genome where small DNA variations have been linked to altered, usually higher diabetes risk — the researchers also uncovered 16 new risk factors.

The researchers also identified eight specific gene variants that are strongly linked to altered risk for both diseases. “Identifying these gene variants linked to both Type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease risk in principle opens up opportunities to lower the risk of both outcomes with a single drug,” said co-senior author Danish Saleheen, Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania in the US.

“From a drug development perspective, it would make sense to focus on those pathways that are most strongly linked to both diseases.” Seven of these gene variants, as expected, appeared to increase risk for both Type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease risk. The eighth, a variant of the gene for the cholesterol-transport protein ApoE, turned out to be associated with higher diabetes risk but lower coronary heart disease risk.

On the whole, the genetic link between the diseases appears to work in one direction so that risk genes for Type 2 diabetes are much more likely to be associated with higher coronary heart disease risk than the other way around, the researchers explained in the paper published in the journal Nature Genetics.

There could also be some pathways where pharmacological lowering of one disease increases the risk of the other. “Using evidence from human genetics, it should be possible to design drugs for Type-2 diabetes that have either beneficial or neutral effects on coronary heart disease risk,” Saleheen said.

source : http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/diabetes-heart-disease-linked-by-same-genes-study-4830026/

Immunotherapy May Lead to Cure for Type 1 Diabetes

The results of a new study published by Science Translational Medicine suggest that it might be possible to retrain the immune system to prevent or slow attacks on insulin-producing beta cells.

In the MonoPepT1De trial, the authors discovered changes in the immune system of patients with type 1 diabetes were injected with peptides, which are small fragments of the protein found in pancreatic beta cells.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body attacks insulin-producing beta cells. Without treatment, the number of beta cells will diminish and the patient will be unable to control blood glucose levels.

“When someone is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes they still typically have between 15% and 20% of their beta cells. We wanted to see if we could protect these remaining cells by retraining the immune system to stop attacking them,” said researcher Mark Peakman, PhD. “We still have a long way to go, but these early results suggest we are heading in the right direction. The peptide technology used in our trial is not only safe for patients, but it also has a noticeable effect on the immune system.”

Currently, there is no cure for type 1 diabetes. Without proper glycemic control, patients can experience problems with the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes, and kidneys.

The study results suggest that immunotherapy may stop immune attacks on beta cells and prevent glycemic issues, according to the authors.

“It was encouraging to see that people who receive the treatment needed less insulin to control their blood glucose levels, suggesting that their pancreas was working better” said chief investigator Colin Dayan, PhD.

Following the success of the clinical trial, researchers are collaborating with UCB Biopharma to develop MultipepT1De as a next generation product and conduct a phase 1b study evaluating the safety of the treatment, according to the study.

If proven effective, patients may no longer require daily, life-long insulin therapy.

“Exciting immunotherapy research like this increases the likelihood that one day insulin-producing cells can be protected and preserved,” said Karen Addington, UK chief executive of JDRF, which funded the research. “That would mean people at risk of Type 1 diabetes might one day need to take less insulin, and perhaps see a future where no one would ever face daily injections to stay alive.”

SOURCE : https://www.specialtypharmacytimes.com/news/immunotherapy-may-lead-to-cure-for-type-1-diabetes