THURSDAY, July 15 (HealthDayNews) -- A mutation of a gene that helps regulate the immune system is a major contributor to type 1 diabetes, researchers at the Medical College of Georgia have found. The newly discovered gene, SUMO-4, controls the activity of proteins that regulate the intensity and duration of immune responses, the researchers report in the August issue of Nature Genetics. The scientists found that a certain mutation of that gene increases the risk of type 1 diabetes. They discovered this by examining the transmission of genes from parents to children in nearly 1,000 diabetic families from across the world. "This helps us understand how type 1 diabetes works, and we can use this improved understanding to better predict who will get the disease and design new intervention strategies for those who do," Dr. Jin-Xiong She, director of the college's Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine, said in a prepared statement. When the mutation encounters an environmental trigger, such as an infection, it throws off the immune system and initiates an autoimmune response that eventually attacks the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about diabetes. (SOURCES: Medical College of Georgia, news release, July 11, 2004) Copyright © 2004 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved. HealthDayNews articles are derived from various sources and do not reflect federal policy. healthfinder® does not endorse opinions, products, or services that may appear in news stories. For more information on health topics in the news, visit the healthfinder® health library. |