Diabetes Dateline
Spring/Summer 2008

T1DGC Builds on Work of Human Genome Project

The Type 1 Diabetes Genetics Consortium (T1DGC), funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases along with the National Human Genome Research Institute, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, is organizing and implementing international efforts to identify genes and gene variations that determine an individual’s risk of developing type 1 diabetes or related autoimmune diseases.

The T1DGC consists of a coordinating center and four clinical recruitment networks in Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, and the United Kingdom. The consortium is building on the work of the Human Genome Project, which spelled out the contents of human genes, and the International HapMap Project, which is identifying the points at which gene sequences differ from person to person. The T1DGC is resolving which of these genetic differences is significant for type 1 diabetes.

The first phase of the project involved recruiting families, particularly those with multiple siblings with type 1 diabetes, to join the study and provide DNA samples for analysis. The consortium created a database containing clinical, genetic, and medical history information to facilitate the search for susceptibility genes. In the future, the database and centralized DNA repository will serve as a resource for genetics researchers both within and outside the T1DGC.

For updates about recent T1DGC developments and other information about the consortium, go to www.t1dgc.org. For more information about diabetes, visit www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov.

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NIH Publication No. 08–4562
August 2008