The Human Genome Project began as a fantastic journey into the building blocks of life. Its goal was to map all the genes in the human body and to lay them out in sequence. This information would then give us the chance to read the genetic blueprint for our species, Homo sapiens.
Started in 1990, the Genome Project was completed in 2003. The project revealed that there are some 30,000 — 50,000 human genes.
Since 2003, researchers have been in a race to use this human blueprint to find genes linked to common illnesses. By identifying these connections, researchers hope to find cures.
Now, four teams of researchers have uncovered eight genes considered risk factors for diabetes. The teams studied the entire human genome in 50,000 people from several different countries. Some had diabetes and some did not.
David Altshuler of the Broad Institute of Harvard University said that at the beginning of the test, the researchers listed every gene they though might be connected to diabetes. None of these were found to be a link.
What the researchers did discover were the eight new genes. They hope uncovering these diabetes genes will lead to the development of new drugs to treat type 2 diabetes.
The genes could also be used in genetic tests to determine a person’s chances of developing diabetes.
Though exciting news, the researchers caution that the risk for developing diabetes is still, in large part, due to lifestyle factors. Being overweight and not exercising will both increase your chances of getting diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes most commonly occurs in people over the age of 40 who are overweight and sedentary. Type 2 diabetes does pass from one generation in a family to the next. But having a family history of type 2 diabetes only seems to be a strong risk factor for people living a Western lifestyle. People living in areas that are not Westernized tend not to get type 2 diabetes, no matter what their genetic risk.
It is thought that many Americans and Europeans who eat high-fat, high-calorie diets and get little or no exercise increase their risk for getting the disease.
Genes alone are not enough to get either type 2 or type 1 diabetes. Scientists have proven this by studying twins. When one twin gets type 1 diabetes, the other will get the disease at most half the time. When one twin gets type 2 diabetes, the other twin’s risk is three in four.
But it is still important to address diet and lifestyle as risk factors for diabetes, despite these recent genetic discoveries.
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