Learning From Molecular Genetics

Genetic factors for many decades have been known to play a critical role in the etiology of diabetes, but it has been only recently that the specific genes have been identified. The identification of the underlying molecular genetics opens the possibility for understanding the genetic architecture of clinically defined categories of diabetes, new biological insights, new clinical insights, and new clinical applications. This article examines the new insights that have arisen from defining the etiological genes in monogenic diabetes and the predisposing polymorphisms in type 2 diabetes.