Abstract
A research team at the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Medicine is searching for the genetic marker that determines pancreatic islet cell mass. If this research is successful it may be possible to identify people with a genetic predisposition to non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Little is known about islet cells, although it is believed that they achieve peak mass in the neonatal period or even in utero. Led by Dr. Liam Murphy, the research team is looking at chromosome 6 for the homeobox genes that control foregut and pancreatic development. They are at the stage of cross-breeding mice in order to follow a trend in their genetic make-up. Once the determinants of islet cell mass in mice are found the search for the corresponding genes in humans can begin. Their research is expected to take several years to complete.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Blum D., Dorchy H., Mouraux T., Vamos E., Mardens Y., Kumps A., De Prez C., Heimann P., Fowler B., Baumgartner R. Congenital absence of insulin cells in a neonate with diabetes mellitus and mutase-deficient methylmalonic acidaemia. Diabetologia. 1993 Apr;36(4):352–357. doi: 10.1007/BF00400240. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Phillips D. I., Hirst S., Clark P. M., Hales C. N., Osmond C. Fetal growth and insulin secretion in adult life. Diabetologia. 1994 Jun;37(6):592–596. doi: 10.1007/BF00403378. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Swenne I. Pancreatic beta-cell growth and diabetes mellitus. Diabetologia. 1992 Mar;35(3):193–201. doi: 10.1007/BF00400917. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]