Thursday, 6 October 2011

Technology and Science ? Gene Discovery Has Great Potential in ...

A groundbreaking major study has great therapeutic potential in treating not only diabetes, but also the equally serious and widespread conditions obesity and heart disease. A team of researchers led by theUniversityofOxfordand King?s College London inBritainhave found a ?master regulator? gene in fat tissue that controls the activity of other genes in body fat.

The gene, called the KLF14 gene, had already been linked to both type 2 diabetes and cholesterol levels, but the role it played was unknown. The research team examined over 20,000 genes from biopsies of the subcutaneous fat of 800UKfemale twin volunteers and, later, an additional 600 Icelandic volunteers. They discovered an unexpected interconnectedness between the KLF14 gene and other genes found in fat that are linked to metabolic traits such as obesity, cholesterol, and glucose and insulin levels.

Excess body fat plays a major role in the development of metabolic disorders (disorders involving an alteration in the normal metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, water and nucleic acids) including diabetes and heart disease. As metabolic conditions are closely related, many patients suffer from a combination of conditions such as obesity and diabetes, or heart disease and diabetes.

In fact, adults with diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop heart disease or suffer a stroke than those without diabetes, and about 65% of diabetics die from one or the other. Obesity is believed to be the biggest cause of insulin resistance. Obesity and diabetes are so interconnected that the current concurrent explosion of both has been dubbed the ?diabesity epidemic?. The prospect of a treatment that would address diabetes, heart disease and obesity together is more than a little heartening.

UniversityofOxford Professor Mark McCarthywas the study?s co-leader. ?KLF14 seems to act as a master switch controlling processes that connect changes in the behavior of subcutaneous fat to disturbances in muscle and liver that contribute to diabetes and other conditions,? McCarthy explains, ?We are working hard right now to understand these processes and how we can use this information to improve treatment of these conditions.?

Professor Tim Spector also co-led the study, dubbed the MuTHER Project. ?This is the first major study that shows how small changes in one master regulator gene can cause a cascade of other metabolic effects in other genes,? says Spector, ?This has great therapeutic potential, especially as by studying large detailed populations such as twins, we hope to find more of these regulators.?


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By Alexa Ray

A groundbreaking major study has great therapeutic potential in treating not only diabetes, but also the equally serious and widespread conditions obesity and heart disease. A team of researchers led by theUniversityofOxfordand King?s College London inBritainhave found a ?master regulator? gene in fat tissue that controls the activity of other genes in body fat.

The gene, called the KLF14 gene, had already been linked to both type 2 diabetes and cholesterol levels, but the role it played was unknown. The research team examined over 20,000 genes from biopsies of the subcutaneous fat of 800UKfemale twin volunteers and, later, an additional 600 Icelandic volunteers. They discovered an unexpected interconnectedness between the KLF14 gene and other genes found in fat that are linked to metabolic traits such as obesity, cholesterol, and glucose and insulin levels.

Excess body fat plays a major role in the development of metabolic disorders (disorders involving an alteration in the normal metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, water and nucleic acids) including diabetes and heart disease. As metabolic conditions are closely related, many patients suffer from a combination of conditions such as obesity and diabetes, or heart disease and diabetes.

In fact, adults with diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop heart disease or suffer a stroke than those without diabetes, and about 65% of diabetics die from one or the other. Obesity is believed to be the biggest cause of insulin resistance. Obesity and diabetes are so interconnected that the current concurrent explosion of both has been dubbed the ?diabesity epidemic?. The prospect of a treatment that would address diabetes, heart disease and obesity together is more than a little heartening.

UniversityofOxford Professor Mark McCarthywas the study?s co-leader. ?KLF14 seems to act as a master switch controlling processes that connect changes in the behavior of subcutaneous fat to disturbances in muscle and liver that contribute to diabetes and other conditions,? McCarthy explains, ?We are working hard right now to understand these processes and how we can use this information to improve treatment of these conditions.?

Professor Tim Spector also co-led the study, dubbed the MuTHER Project. ?This is the first major study that shows how small changes in one master regulator gene can cause a cascade of other metabolic effects in other genes,? says Spector, ?This has great therapeutic potential, especially as by studying large detailed populations such as twins, we hope to find more of these regulators.?

The author blogs about news and views of interest to diabetics at Long Acting Insulin. Alex feels strongly about affordable access to diabetes medication, and recommends Big Mountain Drugs as a reliable Canadian pharmacy from which to buy Lantus long acting insulin and the popular Lantus SoloSTAR insulin pen.

Published at Sooper Articles ? Free Articles Submission http://www.sooperarticles.com

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