WCM-Q research reveals metabolic processes underpinning type 2 diabetes, complications

WCM-Q research reveals metabolic processes underpinning type 2 diabetes, complications

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) have identified metabolites associated with type 2 diabetes and its complications, mainly obesity, retinopathy and dyslipidemia.

The study, led by Dr Noha Yousri, Assistant Professor of Research in Genetic Medicine at WCM-Q, analysed 1,300 metabolites in samples from 996 Qatari adults (57% of whom had type 2 diabetes) and 1,159 metabolites from an independent cohort of 2,618 individuals from the Qatar BioBank (11% of whom had type 2 diabetes).

It identified 373 metabolites associated with type 2 diabetes, obesity, retinopathy, dyslipidemia (measured through lipoprotein levels). A total of 161 of these metabolites were novel, meaning their association with the conditions has never previously been identified.

The identified metabolites highlight perturbations in several biological pathways including oxidative stress, lipotoxicity and glucotoxicity, all of which cause dysfunction and damage at cellular level.

More interestingly, the researchers identified 15 patterns of what they termed “metabo-clinical signatures” based upon clusters of patients with type 2 diabetes who had similar metabolite levels and also shared two or more clinical characteristics, such as obesity, triglyceride, unhealthy HDL/LDL levels, or retinopathy.

Dr. Yousri explained: “The study of complex diseases as diabetes benefits from profiling metabolites from various metabolic pathways. Being affected by