Mental Health Disorders Linked to Diabetes

Mental health disorders and type 2 diabetes are linked by a gene called DISC1, according to a new study.

Previous studies had associated altered DISC1 with an increased risk of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, but its connection to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes among patients with mental health disorders was less clear.
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To clarify its connection, researchers studied the DISC1 function in 2 groups of mice. One group had a genetically altered DISC1 gene in their pancreatic beta cells, and the other group functioned normally.

After analyzing the data, researchers found that mice in the altered DISC1 group had an increase in beta cell death, a decrease in insulin secretion and beta cell function, and glucose intolerance when compared with the normally functioning mice.

“These results uncover an unexpected role for DISC1 in normal beta-cell physiology and suggest that DISC1 dysregulation contributes to type 2 diabetes independently of its importance for cognition,” researchers concluded.

Researchers hope these results can help improve therapies that can treat or even prevent these diseases.

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Jurczyk A, Nowosielska A, Przewozniak N, et al. Beyond the brain: disrupted in schizophrenia 1 regulates pancreatic β-cell function via glycogen synthase kinase-3β. FASEB J. Published online ahead of print November 6, 2015. doi:10.1096/fj.15-279810.