Studies of the molecular genetics of common and rare metabolic disorders

Oluf Borbye Pedersen, DMSc, Professor and Chief Physician heads this group together with Torben Hansen, PhD and Senior Scientist and Gitte Andersen, PhD and Postdoc. The research team involves 25 people – academics, PhD-students, pre-graduate students, data-manager, bioanalysts and a secretary.

Background
The common form of type 2 diabetes is in fact likely to be many different diseases due to various causes and needs for therapy.

Changes in susceptibility genes that predispose individuals to type 2 diabetes and overweight seem to be widespread in the population. In most cases, they trigger type 2 diabetes only if the person has an unhealthy lifestyle with lack of daily physical activity and overweight. Also fetal under-growth and under-development increase risk of type 2 diabetes in adult life. However, more yet unknown risk factors are likely to be critical elements in diabetes development.

Vision and aims
The aim of the research programme is to contribute to an understanding on molecule and gene levels of the causes of both common and rare forms of diabetes and overweight. Insights into the molecular disease processes are expected to facilitate the development of new targeted treatment modalities. This means, that the treatment will be customised to the individual patient, making medication more effective and increasing the patient’s motivation for changes in health behaviour.

It is the vision of the research group to contribute to the prevention of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Accordingly, the group aims to provide new knowledge about which combinations of changes in DNA and everyday health behaviour do confer an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity. In the long term perspective it is expected that an individual will be able to achieve a risk assessment of the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes or obesity based on an integrated analysis of a DNA and serum biomarkers. It is hoped that medical counselling based upon a personal risk profile will motivate people at risk to make any relevant lifestyle changes to prevent outbreak of type 2 diabetes and/or obesity.

Current status
The research group has contributed to clarifying the causes and the treatment of rare forms of diabetes (MODY) and severe overweight (MC4-receptor conditioned). Each of these illnesses is triggered by defects in a single gene. At the national level Steno Diabetes Center offers molecular genetic diagnostics of these illnesses.

The work of the research group has also led to a greater knowledge about the common forms of type 2 diabetes and overweight caused by changes in several genes.