A faster, cheaper and highly accurate genetic test for type 1 diabetes developed in Australia is set for use in labs around the world, its developers announce.
Currently, testing individuals with a history of type 1 diabetes costs hundreds of dollars, but the new method trialled at the Centre for Diabetes Research at the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research would cost a fraction of that, the researchers say.
The strongest genetic risk factors for type 1 diabetes are the HLA genes known as HLA-DR3 and HLA-DR4, incorporating over 60 genes that can predict the disease, they explained.
After testing more than 200,000 genetic markers in the DNA of over 10,000 people, the team led by Professor Grant Morahan found just three genetic markers were enough to predict all the HLA risk markers for type 1 diabetes.
"A blood sample is collected and sent to specialist laboratories where it can cost $300 per sample to test HLA types by the conventional method," said Assistant Professor Nguyen, co-author of the study published in PLOS ONE.
"With this new method, it will cost less than $50 to find a person's HLA risk type. The process will be more affordable and will make it easier for more researchers to investigate type 1 diabetes."
And with an overall accuracy of 99.3%, the new method was more accurate than current tests, the authors wrote.
Now that the research has been published, the researchers said clinicians and researchers across the world can start using the method to provide faster results for people with a family history of type 1 diabetes.
A faster, cheaper and highly accurate genetic test for type 1 diabetes developed in Australia is set for use in labs around the world, its developers announce.
Currently, testing individuals with a history of type 1 diabetes costs hundreds of dollars, but the new method trialled at the Centre for Diabetes Research at the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research would cost a fraction of that, the researchers say.
The strongest genetic risk factors for type 1 diabetes are the HLA genes known as HLA-DR3 and HLA-DR4, incorporating over 60 genes that can predict the disease, they explained.
After testing more than 200,000 genetic markers in the DNA of over 10,000 people, the team led by Professor Grant Morahan found just three genetic...