Excerpts from book:
Preface
"The Genetic Landscape of Diabetes" is a guide to the variations in our DNA that may influence our risk of developing diabetes.
It is well known that a lifestyle of inactivity and excessive food intake plays an important part in diabetes risk. But diabetes is a genetic disease as well as a disease of lifestyle. Rare forms of diabetes are caused by a single gene mutation, but in most cases of diabetes, many genes are thought to be involved, together forming a "genetic risk".
Who should read this book?
Readers with an interest in science, patients with diabetes, physicians, high school students, and research scientists.
For patients and students, summaries provide outlines of the roles of genes, and background information introduces scientific information in a gradual way.
Research scientists and geneticists may be interested to read the "Molecular Information" for each gene. Here the book showcases the power and utility of NCBI tools for biomedical research. These tools include a gene "catalog" (Entrez Gene), the gene location (Map Viewer), searching for similar genes in other species (BLAST), and the latest research findings (PubMed and OMIM).
Why should you read this book?
"The Genetic Landscape of Diabetes" introduces the reader to what diabetes is—from its discovery thousands of years ago to our modern-day understanding of how this disease, characterized by high blood sugar, develops.
The first chapter provides calculators that help you calculate your ideal body weight and BMI. Animated maps of the United States show the rise in obesity and diabetes.
Other chapters guide the reader through the genetic variations that may play roles in type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and other types. The genes discussed encode proteins that have diverse functions in cells—from transcription factors that influence the expression of other genes, to ion channels that control the release of insulin, from transporters that pump glucose into cells, to enzymes that speed up the break down of glucose.
The book closes with "NIH lectures"—videos of some of the most recent lectures given by researchers who have been invited to the NIH to discuss obesity and diabetes.
What makes this book unique?
The genetics of diabetes is complicated—but this book is not and is written for a wide audience. Because what we know about the genetics of diabetes is continually changing, links to live searches of the latest published literature and data will keep this book up to date. All of the content (the online book and the PDFs) is free.
Preface
"The Genetic Landscape of Diabetes" is a guide to the variations in our DNA that may influence our risk of developing diabetes.
It is well known that a lifestyle of inactivity and excessive food intake plays an important part in diabetes risk. But diabetes is a genetic disease as well as a disease of lifestyle. Rare forms of diabetes are caused by a single gene mutation, but in most cases of diabetes, many genes are thought to be involved, together forming a "genetic risk".
Who should read this book?
Readers with an interest in science, patients with diabetes, physicians, high school students, and research scientists.
For patients and students, summaries provide outlines of the roles of genes, and background information introduces scientific information in a gradual way.
Research scientists and geneticists may be interested to read the "Molecular Information" for each gene. Here the book showcases the power and utility of NCBI tools for biomedical research. These tools include a gene "catalog" (Entrez Gene), the gene location (Map Viewer), searching for similar genes in other species (BLAST), and the latest research findings (PubMed and OMIM).
Why should you read this book?
"The Genetic Landscape of Diabetes" introduces the reader to what diabetes is—from its discovery thousands of years ago to our modern-day understanding of how this disease, characterized by high blood sugar, develops.
The first chapter provides calculators that help you calculate your ideal body weight and BMI. Animated maps of the United States show the rise in obesity and diabetes.
Other chapters guide the reader through the genetic variations that may play roles in type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and other types. The genes discussed encode proteins that have diverse functions in cells—from transcription factors that influence the expression of other genes, to ion channels that control the release of insulin, from transporters that pump glucose into cells, to enzymes that speed up the break down of glucose.
The book closes with "NIH lectures"—videos of some of the most recent lectures given by researchers who have been invited to the NIH to discuss obesity and diabetes.
What makes this book unique?
The genetics of diabetes is complicated—but this book is not and is written for a wide audience. Because what we know about the genetics of diabetes is continually changing, links to live searches of the latest published literature and data will keep this book up to date. All of the content (the online book and the PDFs) is free.
