Skip to main content

Indian Scientific Study Shows Neural Connection to Type 2 Diabetes

Pic Courtesy: sciencedirect.com

The Indian Diabetes Consortium (INDICO), a Pan-India initiative led by CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) with AIIMS as a principal clinical partner, has recently brought to light an entirely novel candidate gene, TMEM163 implicated in Type 2 Diabetes. 

TMEM163 encodes a probable vesicular transporter in nerve terminals; and the study established a plausible mechanism of action for TMEM163 through impaired insulin secretion. This lends an unprecedented ‘neural angle’ to diabetes that needs to be explored further and holds immense potential in understanding new pathogenetic mechanisms involved in diabetes causation 

The study currently accepted for publication in the ‘DIABETES’ (American Diabetes Association’s flagship journal), authored by 37 researchers, is the first and the largest ‘Genome Wide Association Study’ (GWAS) conducted for any complex disorder conceived and executed entirely in the developing world. 

The work involved 12,535 Indians; with an initial phase involving 2465 subjects; Type 2 Diabetes patients and matched control individuals, followed by validation in two ethnic populations of India including Indo-Europeans and Dravidians, followed by a comprehensive meta-analysis. This effort places India to the list of countries which have the technology and human resource to perform high throughput complex genomic experimentation, at par with leading researchers in the developed world. 

“The breakthrough represents the triumph of ‘Indian Functional Genomics Capacity’, whose nucleation started almost fifteen years ago under the CSIR umbrella with an objective to advance understanding towards complex diseases prevalent amongst Indians” said Prof Samir K. Brahmachari, Director General, CSIR. 

“This study is an outstanding example from India, of a close collaboration between genomic scientists and clinical partners” said Prof Nikhil Tandon, AIIMS, a lead investigator of the project. 

“This study shall go a long way in furthering the aims and objectives of INDICO as well as untangling the intricacies involved in this complex disorder” said Dr. Dwaipayan Bharadwaj, Principal Scientist, CSIR-IGIB. Further work on functionally validating this genomic discovery has already been initiated by Dr. Dwaipayan Bharadwaj’s group, in the well-established facility at CSIR-IGIB, through the development of zebra fish models. The article will be available online in the forthcoming week in ‘DIABETES’. 

About INDICO 

The INDICO consortium attracts countrywide participation spanning Delhi, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Jaipur and Chennai, involving premier research institutes and stalwarts of diabetes research like Dr. Nikhil Tandon, M.D, Ph.D (Dept of Endocrinology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences). Since Indians are not only genetically diverse but also have an exceptionally high prevalence of type 2 diabetes, the consortium provides researchers a unique and unparalleled opportunity to investigate the complex dimensions of diabetes genetics. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Folk Dances of India

India is a land of diverse cultures and traditions. Each region of the country has a unique culture, which is also prominently visible in its various art forms. Almost all the regions of the country have their specific folk music and dance, which proves to be a wonderful way of expression of their community and its traditions. Though these folk dances are not as complex as the classical dance forms, they are very beautiful, because of the essence of rawness in them. Be it the Bihu of Assam, Dol-Cholom of Manipur, Hikal of Himachal Pradesh or Chhau of Bihar, each of the Indian folk dance forms comes across as a reflection of the deep sited beliefs and traditions of a particular culture. The folk dances of any community are performed on almost every special occasion and festival, to express elation and joy. These dances are also considered to be auspicious by many of the tribal communities in the country. Many folk dances are dedicated to the presiding deity of the specific commu

India 2012 - A must buy

INDIA- 2012 by Publication Division A book that is mandatory to have...!!!! Much awaited book of the year India-2012 was finally out on february 27,2012.It covers all important areas regarding this country such as science and technology,defence,agriculture etc... As it is published by govt of India(ministry of Information and broadcasting,department of publication division)the information in this book is more genuine that any other book. for the people who are preparing for competitive exams(especially for UPSC exams)this book will be very useful.It is more better than having any other gk book.so friends order your copy and start reading... Book Summary of India 2012 India 2012 Reference Annual gives a comprehensive view of country's progress in the field of rural and urban development, industry and infrastructure, science and technology, art and culture, economy, health, defence, education and mass communication. The Reference Annual incorporates sections on gene

Anthropology-I, 2011

Civil Services (Main) Examination - 2011 Anthropology Paper I Time Allowed : Three Hours Maximum Marks : 300   Candidates should attempt Questions no. 1 and 5 which are compulsory, and any three of the remaining questions selecting at least one question from each Section. SECTION A 1. Write short notes on the following in about 150 words each: 15*4=60      a) Synthetic Theory         b) Neanderthal Man         c) Fieldwork Tradition in Anthropology         d) Cultural Materialism 2. a) Describe major skeletal similarities and differences between Homo erectus    and Homo sapiens . 30     b) 'Man is a primate.' Discuss. 30 3. a) Critically examine the contribution of Anthropologists in the interpretation of symbols. 30     b) Critically examine the debate between Formalists and Substantivists. 30 4. a) Discuss different modes of exchange in simple societies, with suitable examples. 30     b) Explain various Anthro