Sweet genetics
The limited information regarding molecular targets and genetic factors in current treatments for type 2 diabetes (T2D) hampers doctors’ and researchers’ ability to predict response and adverse effects in patients. Using data from a clinical study called SUGAR-MGH, CGM faculty members, Jose Florez and Miriam Udler, and colleagues investigated how genetic variations affect the response to the glucose-lowering medications, glipizide and metformin, in individuals with T2D. After genotyping 1,000 participants (at risk for developing T2D) from diverse ancestries in the study, the team discovered new variations related to the effectiveness of these medications and gained insights into the underlying mechanisms of T2D.
Read more in Diabetologia.
The Center for Genomic Medicine (CGM) comprises one of the largest and most vibrant hubs of genomic medicine research in the world. The CGM includes 46 faculty collaborating to define the ‘genomic medicine cycle’ – which envisages a genomics community seeking to advance research from basic genomics research to ultimately using genome information for diagnostics and targeted therapeutics. All of our investigators are faculty at Harvard Medical School, and many members of our community are also investigators at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT.
