Major step in preventing type 2 diabetes
An international team led by researchers at the Broad Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), both Harvard affiliates, has identified mutations in a gene that can reduce the risk of individuals developing type 2 diabetes, even in people who have risk factors such as obesity and old age. The results focus the search for developing novel therapeutic strategies for type 2 diabetes: If a drug can be developed that mimics the protective effect of these mutations, it could open up new ways of preventing this devastating disease. Type 2 diabetes affects more than 300 million people worldwide and is rising rapidly in prevalence. Lifestyle changes and existing medicines slow the progression of the disease, but many patients are inadequately served by current treatments. The first step to developing a new therapy is discovering and validating a “drug target” — a human protein that, if activated or inhibited, results in prevention and treatment...