The Centre for Diabetes Research (the Centre) is an initiative of the DRFWA and was established in 2005 to strengthen research in Western Australia into diabetes.
Current research at the Centre:
"Bid to uncover intricacies of type 1 diabetes"
The Centre for Diabetes Research (CDR) has published the largest ever genetic linkage study undertaken in the top-ranked journal – Diabetes – in the field of diabetes research. This was the outcome of the Type 1 Diabetes Genetics Consortium’s (T1DGC) ten-year study. The study analyzed data gathered from over 4,000 pairs of brothers and sisters (with type 1 diabetes) to identify genes that affect the risk of developing type 1 diabetes (T1D).
The outcome of this study was that:
- six sub-ypes of type 1 diabetes have been found
- four sub-types of type 2 diabetes have been found
- over 60 genes were identified that affect the risk of developing T1D and
- these genes interact in an apparently random fashion.
What does this mean?
It is likely that the sub-types of diabetes represent real disease states that have different characteristics and this will give doctors accurate information to deliver treatment that suits your type of diabetes . It helps us understand why diabetes is different in people and why some people develop complications and others don't. The more we know the better.
These astounding revelations that will be extensively researched in at the Centre.
'Environmental factors may affect Australian families at risk of developing type 1 diabetes'
The Australian Childhood Diabetes DNA Repository (ACDDR) invited families of children affected by either T1D or child-onset T2D to provide DNA samples to assist in discovering the genetic causes behind diabetes. At the end of 2010 the ACDDR had collected 1812 complete trio families (children with T1D and both biological parents). These families have now been tested for the 40 T1D genes identified by the T1DGC and the results were very surprising. While many of the genes showed a significant effect in Australian families, there were many that appeared to have no effect at all.
This suggests that there are environmental interactions with the genes that casue diabetes and that these environmental factors differ between Australia and the United Kingdom where the genes were first identified.
Director of the Centre Professor Morahan is confident that there will some very exciting results nd prgress from this research in the coming year....
Like to know more? A report is available via email
Please help us make sure this important research continues
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