The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 274 No 7344 p415
9 April 2005

This article
Reprint   Photocopy

  Acrobat Reader

News summary

Diabetes gene identification could lead to new therapy

A gene that appears to play a critical role in the development of type 1 diabetes has been identified by researchers at the North Shore-Long Island Health System in Manhasset, New York. The gene is responsible for making an immune system messenger called macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a protein involved in the regulation of the immune system. Last year, the researchers showed that ISO-1, a synthetic compound developed by them, prevented the onset of diabetes by inhibiting MIF (PJ, 10 April 2004, p441).

In the latest experiments, the researchers gave a chemical known to induce diabetes to mice that they had specifically bred to lack the MIF gene. They found that the mice were resistant to the development of diabetes.

Yousef Al-Abed, one of the researchers, says: “[The gene] is not the only factor involved in this complex disease, but it is certainly a promising target for its prevention and treatment.” He adds that identification of the gene could lead to gene therapy to prevent the disease, possibly by disrupting the network of genes involved in its development.

The study findings were presented at the 229th national meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Diego last month.