Genetic tests could help neonatal diabetes

“Ground-breaking” work has revealed genetic testing could be key to providing better care for children with neonatal diabetes, according to a recent study.

Neonatal diabetes is a rare form of diabetes that is diagnosed in children aged under six months.

The research, conducted by a team at the University of Exeter and funded by the Wellcome Trust and Diabetes UK, looked at results of genetic testing for the 22 known genetic causes of neonatal diabetes and changes that affect insulin production.

Dr Alasdair Rankin, Diabetes UK Director of Research, said: “It’s vital that children with neonatal diabetes get early access to genetic testing, so they can receive the correct treatment as soon as possible.

“We are proud to have supported this ground-breaking work, which has capitalised on recent genetic advances to boost our understanding and make a real difference to the lives of children with this rare condition.”

In the past 10 years the time taken for babies to receive testing after being diagnosed with neonatal diabetes has fallen from over four years to under two months.

Improvements to genetic testing also means it is now possible to test all genes in a single test rather than testing one gene at a time.

This means that doctors are now able to make a precise diagnosis at a much earlier stage, which provides crucial information about how best to treat children with neonatal diabetes.

Genetic testing can also predict medical problems that children with neonatal diabetes are likely to develop in the future, which means that doctors can start to develop treatments to prevent or reduce their impact.

Professor Andrew Hattersley, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “In the last decade, we have shown that making a precise diagnosis from genetic testing results in improved treatment and hence we now get samples soon after diabetes is diagnosed from patients throughout the world.

“Now the ability to test all genes in a single test means we are able to accurately inform patients and their doctors – not just about the best treatment but also about likely medical problems before they have started. This means doctors can start to develop treatment to either prevent or improve these problems. It is a new way of practising medicine.”