Insights into Pancreatic Beta-Cell Function from Type 2 Diabetes GWAS
4:00 p.m. Saturday
W-2002 (West, Level 2)
This presentation provides an overview of how we are capitalizing on recent progress in our understanding of the genetic landscape for type 2 diabetes to provide insights into the mechanisms by which pancreatic beta cells fail to produce and release sufficient insulin. Examples will be given on how we can use complementary approaches—including carefully studying people with particular genetic variants, deciphering the regulatory grammar for expression of genes in diabetes-relevant tissues, and editing the genome in human cells—to drill down on novel mechanisms for how these changes in our DNA influence our risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Ultimately, we hope that the knowledge we uncover will be translated into improvements in clinical care pathways, by providing opportunities for personalized medicine and/or aiding pharmaceutical companies with validated targets for novel therapeutics.