2024-01-05 17:20:00
A study from the University of Helsinki, together with Massachusetts General Hospital and the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, found significant advances in understanding the unique genetic basis of gestational diabetes, challenging previous assumptions about shared genetic underpinnings. with type 2 diabetes.
The research involved the largest genome-wide association study of gestational diabetes to date, involving more than 12,000 patients and 131,000 control women.
The researchers found 13 different chromosomal regions associated with the disease and two classes of genetic variants related to gestational diabetes.
Likewise, the study also revealed physiological mechanisms related to the development of diabetes during pregnancy, highlighting adaptive changes in the brain and altered insulin sensitivity in mothers. The hypothalamus emerged as a key focus, with risk genes identified active in specific brain cells crucial for maintaining blood sugar regulation during pregnancy.
While focused on a Finnish population, the findings have broader implications due to the similarity of risk variants, potentially relevant to various populations at risk for gestational diabetes.
The relevance of the study extends beyond gestational diabetes, improving general understanding of glucose metabolism dysregulation and potentially transforming attitudes and research approaches toward pregnancy-related health outcomes.
This groundbreaking study not only sheds light on an understudied pregnancy disorder, but also has the potential to transform research and approaches to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes. The availability of new genetic factors and pathways opens avenues for future research not only in gestational diabetes but also in broader research on pregnancy-related health.
The study was published in the journal Nature Genetics.
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