Australian scientists identify diabetes gene

Australian scientists in Melbourne have identified a gene and protein linked to Type 2 diabetes, which they claim could lead to treatment for a disease that affects 1m Australians. Experiments on Israeli sand rats, which develop diabetes and obesity in a similar way to humans, showed the gene was associated with the way glucose was metabolised by cells. By inserting the gene, named tanis, into human liver cells, researchers induced diabetes by altering the cells' ability to metabolise glucose.

The joint research by Melbourne biotechnology company Autogen, Deakin University and the International Diabetes Institute in Melbourne could lead to a treatment within 10-15 years. James Campbell, Autogen director of business development, said the cells into which the tanis gene was inserted metabolised glucose in basically an imitation of diabetes. Once a protein had been shown to cause a disease, drugs could be made that blocked the receptors for that protein.