Genetic clues for type 2 diabetes
The two studies identified 53 loci (regions on the chromosome where genes are located) that are linked to glycemic traits and type 2 diabetes. The research could help scientists develop a tool to detect the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Image: fpm/iStockphoto Busselton residents and researchers from The University of Western Australia have contributed to a worldwide scientific collaboration that has identified new genetic links in the quest to map the biological pathways that cause diabetes. In two papers published online today in Nature Genetics the researchers have identified a substantial number of new loci (the specific place on a chromosome where a gene is located) linked with glycemic traits and type 2 diabetes (T2D) that have not been described in previous research.Diabetes is a condition where there is too much glucose, a type of sugar, in the blood. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes affecting some...