Reading between the (Genetic) Lines: How Epigenetics is Unlocking Novel Therapies for Type 1 Diabetes.
Ammira-Sarah Al-Shabeeb AkilLaila F JermanEsraa YassinSujitha S PadmajeyaAlya Al-KurbiKhalid A FakhroPublished in: Cells (2020)
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune condition where the body's immune cells destroy their insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells leading to dysregulated glycaemia. Individuals with T1D control their blood glucose through exogenous insulin replacement therapy, often using multiple daily injections or pumps. However, failure to accurately mimic intrinsic glucose regulation results in glucose fluctuations and long-term complications impacting key organs such as the heart, kidneys, and/or the eyes. It is well established that genetic and environmental factors contribute to the initiation and progression of T1D, but recent studies show that epigenetic modifications are also important. Here, we discuss key epigenetic modifications associated with T1D pathogenesis and discuss how recent research is finding ways to harness epigenetic mechanisms to prevent, reverse, or manage T1D.
Keyphrases
- blood glucose
- glycemic control
- type diabetes
- replacement therapy
- dna methylation
- gene expression
- genome wide
- induced apoptosis
- insulin resistance
- cardiovascular disease
- copy number
- smoking cessation
- multiple sclerosis
- cell cycle arrest
- optical coherence tomography
- atrial fibrillation
- physical activity
- working memory
- risk factors
- blood pressure
- ultrasound guided
- skeletal muscle
- endoplasmic reticulum stress
- platelet rich plasma
- drug induced
- cell death