Genetics of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus-Asian Perspective (A Review)

ABSTRACT

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder that has come up as a major cause of mortality and continues to cause enormous socio-economic loss across the globe. In the purview of this, a thorough understanding of the pathophysiology, etiology, and pathogenesis of the condition is the need-of-the-hour so as to develop potent therapeutics to have a better control of T2DM. In the developing countries, especially the South Asian region, the condition has become a major health issue owing to the low income and distinct socio-economic patterns. In the European population, a variety of genes have been found to be associated with T2DM; however, their contribution to the other ethnic groups is still unclear. In recent years, various research groups analyzed the prevalence of such genes in Asian populations. The Genome Wide Association Scan (GWAS) successfully identified more than 70 genetic variants that are associated with the T2DM. The present article intends to provide a comprehensive account of the major studies on the genetics of T2DM, with special reference to the Asian population. The various risk factors and the complications associated with the T2DM will be discussed. The review also highlights the major differences and similarities between the susceptibility loci that have been investigated in different ethnicities to provide a novel insight into the disease pathogenesis and its heritability patterns. The information presented, herein, on the genetics of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus holds significance as it paves the way for the development of potential biomarkers and strengthens the fact that specific genetic alterations have important functional roles in the progression or development of T2DM.