Detection of pancreatic beta cell DNA in the circulation utilizing epigenetic modification

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K06910
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Medical genome science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokushima
• Principal Investigator: KURODA Akio 徳島大学, 先端酵素学研究所(糖尿病), 准教授 (70571412)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 松久 宗英 徳島大学, 先端酵素学研究所(糖尿病), 教授 (60362737) ; 田蒔 基行 徳島大学, 先端酵素学研究所(糖尿病), 徳島大学専門研究員 (60624400)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: インスリン / 遊離DNA / PCR / bisulfite

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Genomic DNA sequences of any cells are all the same within a body. Pancreatic beta cells only produce insulin and CpG cytosine in the human insulin gene is uniquely unmethylated in pancreatic beta cells. We have developed a new PCR method, which amplifies only if 4 CpG sites in insulin genes were all unmethylated to detect pancreatic beta cell death in the circulation. There were positive results in 18/60 patients with type 1 diabetes and 2/10 patients with type 2 diabetes and 8/21 normal healthy control subjects. This method is able to be applied for the early diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and the detection of transplanted islet or pancreas tissue injury.

Free Research Field

1型糖尿病