Multidisciplinary investigation of the genetic risk factors of type II Diabetes (T2D) and its complications in North Africa

Summary

Diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2D) is a common metabolic disorder resulting from complex interactions between the environment and the human genetic factors. In North Africa , there is a growing concern for the disease socio-economic impact, high medical costs and adverse effects of the quality of life. Huge international consortia employing high-throughput genotyping platforms have led to better definition of the genetic basis of T2D in several populations and consequently improved disease management protocols. Unfortunately, this massive approach has not been initiated in North Africa (NA) yet, not only because of the lack of the adequate infrastructure but also because of the high fragmentation of the research activities. The current project represents the first phase towards the formation of North African T2D network through the collaboration of 5 NA centres [from Algeria, Egypt, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia] to elucidate the genotypes of a few relevant genes in 5 NA T2D patients and thus forming a seed for a wider NA T2D network for the whole region in later stages.

Principal Investigators & Organizations