In another TGen study presented Friday, June 25, at the ADA sessions, researchers initiated an investigation into the ways that the PVT1 gene impacts development of diabetic kidney disease.

Previous studies have shown an association between PVT1 and kidney failure in patients with diabetes, both autoimmune (type 1) and that most commonly caused by excessive weight, poor diet and lack of exercise (type 2).

In the new study, researchers found that PVT1 was expressed in mesangial cells, which are specialized cells around blood vessels in the kidneys, at a rate up to five times higher in conditions of high glucose (high blood sugar), compared to normal glucose levels. High blood sugar is a signature symptom of diabetes.

"These findings show that additional study of the role of PVT1 in diabetic kidney disease is well-justified," said Dr. Lucrecia Alvarez, a TGen Post-Doctoral Fellow and the first author of the study's abstract. Dr. Alvarez announced the findings during an oral presentation at the ADA sessions.

Source: The Translational Genomics Research Institute