Mengting Luo

Institute of Life Science, Jiyang College of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, China
Author    Correspondence author
Biological Evidence, 2024, Vol. 14, No. 1   doi: 10.5376/be.2024.14.0002
Received: 01 Jan., 2024    Accepted: 02 Feb., 2024    Published: 13 Feb., 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Luo M.T., 2024, Unveiling the genetic heterogeneity of type 2 diabetes: from multi-ethnic studies to personalized medicine, Evidence, 14(1): 11-15 (doi: 10.5376/be.2024.14.0002)

The paper titled “Genetic drivers of heterogeneity in type 2 diabetes pathophysiology” published in Nature on February 19, 2024, authored by Ken Suzuki, Konstantinos Hatzikotoulas, Lorraine Southam, Henry J. Taylor, Xianyong Yin, Kim M. Lorenz, Ravi Mandla, et al., originates from institutions including the University of Manchester, UK, and the University of Tokyo, Japan. The study amalgamated genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from 2,535,601 individuals, 39.7% of whom were of non-European descent, including 428,452 cases of type 2 diabetes (T2D), aiming to characterize the genetic contributions to the development of T2D. It identified 1,289 independent association signals mapped to 611 loci, with 145 being novel discoveries. By defining cluster-based polygenic risk scores and examining their association with vascular outcomes related to T2D, the study highlighted the significant role of obesity-related processes in the development of vascular outcomes. Integrating and analyzing large-scale, multi-ethnic GWAS data, the study substantially expanded our understanding of the genetic diversity of T2D. Its results not only enhance our knowledge of the genetic architecture of T2D but also provide new directions for future research, especially in the development of customized treatment plans for T2D patients with specific genetic backgrounds. The findings of this study signify a step towards more personalized care for diabetes, emphasizing the importance of considering genetic heterogeneity in public health strategies and therapeutic interventions.

Genetic drivers; heterogeneity; diabetes pathophysiology