Gut Health for Detection and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes, the most prevalent form of diabetes, affects about 422 million individuals worldwide. This chronic condition continues to affect more and more individuals every year, with the predicted growth rate doubling by the year 2045. With type 2 diabetes, high blood sugar levels can lead to circulatory, nervous and immune system disorders. Currently, this extremely common condition has no cure, and there is an urgency for more effective treatments as the prevalence of diabetes continues to grow.
Although poor dietary habits and impaired pancreatic islet function–which helps regular blood glucose levels–are some known causes of type 2 diabetes, it has also recently been uncovered that gut flora health and intestinal flora disorders may play a role as well. A study conducted by researchers at the School of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical College suggests that gut flora, the microorganisms such as bacteria located in the intestinal tract, is involved in manifestation of diabetes. Specifically, probiotics in these gut flora may be involved in control of blood glucose levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. These researchers suggest that genetics may play a role in how common various gut flora are, which can then affect an individual’s risk for type 2 diabetes.
Scientists conducted this study using data from the MiBioGen consortium, consisting of microbiome data from about 19,000 individuals of different populations in Europe, North America, and Asia, and utilize GWAS (genome wide association studies) to see what genomic variants are statistically significantly associated with type 2 diabetes. In short, scientists are looking at what differences in genetics may lead to differences in various gut flora presence, and therefore an increase in risk for type 2 diabetes.
Although poor dietary habits and impaired pancreatic islet function–which helps regular blood glucose levels–are some known causes of type 2 diabetes, it has also recently been uncovered that gut flora health and intestinal flora disorders may play a role as well. A study conducted by researchers at the School of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical College suggests that gut flora, the microorganisms such as bacteria located in the intestinal tract, is involved in manifestation of diabetes. Specifically, probiotics in these gut flora may be involved in control of blood glucose levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. These researchers suggest that genetics may play a role in how common various gut flora are, which can then affect an individual’s risk for type 2 diabetes.
Scientists conducted this study using data from the MiBioGen consortium, consisting of microbiome data from about 19,000 individuals of different populations in Europe, North America, and Asia, and utilize GWAS (genome wide association studies) to see what genomic variants are statistically significantly associated with type 2 diabetes. In short, scientists are looking at what differences in genetics may lead to differences in various gut flora presence, and therefore an increase in risk for type 2 diabetes.
Looking at genetic trends and patterns in gut microbiota allows researchers to look for predetermining causes of type 2 diabetes.
Image Source: Pikwizard
In this study, five main groups of microorganisms are studied in great detail: genus Flavonifractor, genus Haemophilus, family Clostridiaceae, genus Actinomyces and genus Candidatus Soleaferrea. The effects of each group on gut health are evaluated. For instance, genus Flavonifractor was shown to have a protective effect, allowing for the regulation of various bodily systems. On the other hand, a reduced presence of genus Haemophilus in type 2 diabetes patients was linked to various chronic inflammatory conditions and cancers. Overall, genus Flavonifractor and Haemophilus were detected to have a protective effect on one’s gut health and therefore protection against type 2 diabetes. The presence of Clostridiaceae, Actinomyces, and Candidatus Soleaferrea on the other hand, are detected to be risk factors for type 2 diabetes, meaning that their presence is associated with a higher risk for type 2 diabetes.
Overall, this study suggests that various microbiota may play a role in the manifestation of type 2 diabetes, allowing for more innovation in the area of diabetes treatment as well as for earlier screening of the disease, looking at one’s genetic makeup in relation to the presence of these microbiota. While some limitations of this study include that some populations from various areas of the world (i.e. Africa, South America, Australia) are not covered by the database used, meaning that this data may not be relevant to these individuals, this study allows for a step in the right direction towards new forms of type 2 diabetes treatment and identification.
Overall, this study suggests that various microbiota may play a role in the manifestation of type 2 diabetes, allowing for more innovation in the area of diabetes treatment as well as for earlier screening of the disease, looking at one’s genetic makeup in relation to the presence of these microbiota. While some limitations of this study include that some populations from various areas of the world (i.e. Africa, South America, Australia) are not covered by the database used, meaning that this data may not be relevant to these individuals, this study allows for a step in the right direction towards new forms of type 2 diabetes treatment and identification.
Featured Image Source: Pavel Daniyuk
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