DOHA: A research team based in Qatar, together with international scientists, has identified a genetic marker that will help identify which patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are most likely to develop certain kinds of cancer.
Scientists from Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), an entity of Qatar Foundation Research and Development, Imperial College London, and CNRS-Lille France have found the marker.
They found that patients with T2D who have the marker are four times more likely than non-diabetics to develop cancer, especially blood cancers, including lymphoma and leukaemia.
The study, published in Nature Genetics this week, may lead to genetic testing of patients with T2D to determine if they are at higher risk for developing cancer.
“We are very excited about the finding,” said Executive Director of QBRI, Dr Abdelali Haoudi.
“This discovery shows a link between diabetes and cancer, diseases that are especially prevalent in Qatar.
“As such, it represents a major step forward in QBRI’s mission to translate novel scientific discoveries into efficient therapies and better preventative strategies for the two diseases that are the highest priorities for research in Qatar’s National Research Strategy.”
The international research team, led by Professor Philippe Froguel, the newly appointed Senior Research Director at QBRI, looked at blood DNA from 7,437 people, including 2,208 patients with T2D, to see how many had a chromosomal abnormality known as large clonal mosaic events (CMEs).
“We found that the frequency of CME carriers was four times higher in patients with T2D than non-diabetics,” said Prof Froguel.
“We also confirmed a significant effect of age on the development of CMEs,” he added.
The Peninsula
