Gene that regulates health of cell's powerhouse could be target for developing new diabetes drugs
A team led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that a susceptibility gene for type 1 diabetes regulates self-destruction of the cell's energy factory. They report their findings this week in Cell.
The pathway central to this gene could be targeted for prevention and control of type-1 diabetes and may extend to the treatment of other metabolic-associated diseases.
The team found that the gene, Clec16a, when in pancreas cells, is required for normal glucose-stimulated insulin release. What's more, people with a variation in the gene sequence near Clec16a have reduced expression of the protein in their islet cells and therefore reduced insulin secretion.
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