Common genetic variants in type 1 diabetes

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    The role of common genetic variants in heterogeneity of type 1 diabetes

  • IRAS ID

    210049

  • Contact name

    Mike Weedon

  • Contact email

    M.N.Weedon@exeter.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Exeter

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    2 years, 11 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    There is now sufficient support from various studies to suggest that type 1 diabetes is not a uniform disease as previously thought. Some patients produce more of their own insulin then other whereas some are diagnosed late in adulthood rather than in childhood. We do not understand what causes these differences. We aim to use common changes in genes to understand these differences in patients with type 1 diabetes.
    We will use already collected anonymised DNA and clinical data from studies involving type 1 diabetes patients such as ADDRESS-2 study. We will measure 845,000 common genetic changes in type 1 diabetes patients to assess the contribution of genetic differences among the patients to their age of diagnosis, insulin production capacity and autoantibody status. We will carry out genome wide association analysis and analysis using type 1 diabetes genetic risk score (composite contribution of 30 common genetic changes that are associated with type 1 diabetes) to understand these differences. We will also analyse a combination of clinical data and genetic data to understand the relative contribution of each of these factors towards differences in age of diagnosis, insulin production capacity and autoantibody status. This study will provide important insight into biology of type 1 diabetes and may help to provide personalised care of 21st century for these patients.

  • REC name

    East of England - Essex Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    16/EE/0306

  • Date of REC Opinion

    14 Jul 2016

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion