Access

News and Views

Nature 450, 799-800 (6 December 2007) | doi:10.1038/450799a; Published online 5 December 2007

Open Innovation Challenges

naturejobs

Diabetes: Missing links

Bart O. Roep1

Top

Researchers have now probably pinpointed all the genes in the MHC genomic region that are risk factors in type 1 diabetes. As the MHC is unusually rich in genes involved in immunity, this is truly exciting.

If there were 'Guinness World Records' for genomic regions, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) would have several entries. It is the most gene-dense region in mammals, and variations in the human MHC are linked to susceptibility to more common diseases than any other region in the human genome.

  1. Bart O. Roep is in the Department of Immunohaematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, NL-2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands.
    Email: boroep@lumc.nl

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.

NEWS AND VIEWS

The immunology of diabetes mellitus

Nature News and Views (13 Jun 1991)