Genetics of Type 1 Diabetes Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Genetics of Type 1 Diabetes - Research Proposal Example Although this is significantly reduced as compared to Europe, this still represents a statistic that is most certainly higher than should be represented (Klompas et al., 2013). A large portion of research with respect to type I diabetes has been concentric upon heredity and environment. Ultimately, the research that is been concentric upon environment necessarily weighs pollution, exposure to sunlight, diet, and other relevant factors (Hilmi et al., 2013). By contrast, the analysis that is been concentric upon heredity has focused mainly upon genetic indicators. As such, many of the genetic indicators that have been linked to potentially encouraging or otherwise exacerbating a risk rate for type I diabetes include haplotypes of the human leucocyte antigen; these include: HLA-A, HLA-B, HLADRB1 as well as HLA-DQB1 genes. Researchers have noted that the association to Type 1 diabetes that these genes portend is concentric upon auto-immune issues that an individual is exposed to if they have these specific genes. Beyond these, IDDM1 through IDDM18 have also been noted to have a clear and distinct linkage to the possibility of an individual developing Type 1 di abetes at some point in their lives. Further, beyond genes that deal with the regulation of proteins or amino acids, CTLA4 has been clearly linked to an increase in the potential of an individual to develop Type 1 diabetes as well. This is due to the fact that the CTLA4 gene plays a regulatory role in the body’s immune system; therefore the prevalence of this gene or absence thereof has a contributing effect with respect to Type 1 diabetes (Lundgren et al., 2013). As Type 1 diabetes is understood in terms of a disease that is exacerbated and/or evidenced by the prevalence of key genes, understanding a differential between these genes and how they relate to individuals of different racial backgrounds is key to better understanding Type 1