A McGill research team's discovery of four new genes and their connection with type 2 diabetes was lauded as one of the internet publication Science Watch's 2006-2007 Red-Hot Research Papers. The study, published in the February 2007 issue of Nature, was led by Professors Rob Sladek and Constantin Polychronakos, and ranked fifth overall.
"We were motivated to find diabetes-related genes because the genetic causes of diabetes were unknown," Sladek said. "Initially, we searched for specific candidate genes. Later, we expanded our method to look across the entire genome for genes related to diabetes."
Science Watch's annual ranking is intended to be a measure of a paper's scientific influence and was assembled by assessing the number of times the study was cited in its first 10 months of publication, 92 in this case. Sladek has found the study to be well accepted by his peers.
"Many of my colleagues who have read it have been impressed with the presentation," he said. "We were careful in our analysis and clear in our writing."
Polychronakos referred to the study's Impact Factor, the average number of times it has been cited within two years of publication, when assessing its influence.
"The average Nature article has an IF of 29. Most scientific studies have an IF of less than 5. Our study was cited 92 times in its 10 first months, which means there is a lot of interest in our discovery," he said.
Sladek and his colleagues' discovery of four new genes that furthered the risk of type 2 diabetes increased the total number of known genes related to diabetes to seven. Three additional genes have been discovered since Sladek's study.
Using a technique called genotyping micro array, commonly known as DNA chips, Sladek and colleagues scanned the human genome with DNA tests for diabetes-predisposing genes, using samples from both diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. The four diabetes-related genes were discovered on chromosomes 8, 10 and 11. Polychronakos hopes his discovery will lead to a more thorough understanding of diabetes, so it can be more effectively treated and prevented.
"With a better understanding of the causes of diabetes, we will be able to better predict who has diabetes. In the long term, we hope to create drugs that will affect the diabetes-related genes," he said.
2008 Woodie Awards
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