New type of diabetes found in children under 6 months of age, scientists make surprising discovery

News Topical, Digital Desk : Until now, diabetes was thought to be a disease of adults or older children, but scientists have recently made a startling discovery. A completely new type of diabetes has been found in some infants under six months of age. It's caused not by normal causes, but by specific changes in their DNA .

The secret of disease is hidden in the genes

A team of international scientists has discovered that approximately 85 percent of newborn diabetes cases are caused by a genetic defect. This new discovery has linked a gene called TMEM167A to the disease. Mutations in this gene affect the baby's ability to produce insulin .

How was this discovery made?

Scientists conducted a detailed study of six children. All of them had developed diabetes symptoms within a few months of birth. When their DNA was examined using stem cell technology and gene editing , abnormal mutations were found in the TMEM167A gene .

The team then experimented with these cells in the lab . They transformed both the normal and the altered gene stem cells into pancreatic beta cells — the very cells that produce insulin . The results were surprising: the cells with the altered TMEM167A gene were unable to produce insulin .

Why is this discovery special?

This study is important not only for understanding neonatal diabetes but also for understanding the entire insulin production process. Most diabetes medications affect insulin production or its action. If the role of this new gene is fully understood, it could lead to the development of drugs that can control the disease at the root cause, i.e., the gene level.

According to Dr. Franco , “This discovery will not only help us understand the rare neonatal diabetes , but may also prove useful in unraveling the mysteries of more common type 1 and type 2 diabetes .”

The scientists now plan to further investigate the function of the TMEM167A gene and its other health implications. They believe that a better understanding of this gene will lead to timely diagnosis and effective treatment for newborns.

This new form of diabetes proves how profoundly our genes influence our health. Identifying this disease so early in life in infants is not only a major achievement for medical science, but also a crucial step toward improving the lives of countless children in the future.

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