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Madrid, 27 July 2024 — In a groundbreaking study to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Madrid from September 9-13, researchers have discovered that children are nearly twice as likely to develop type 1 diabetes (T1D) if their father, rather than their mother, has the condition. This research, the largest of its kind, could lead to new insights into preventing T1D.
The study, led by Dr. Lowri Allen from the Diabetes Research Group at Cardiff University, UK, provides compelling evidence that exposure to T1D in the womb offers a protective effect against the disease for children whose mothers have the condition. The meta-analysis, which included data from five major studies—BOX, Better Diabetes Diagnosis, TrialNet Pathway to Prevention Study, Type 1 Diabetes Genetic Consortium, and StartRight—encompassed 11,475 individuals with T1D.
Dr. Allen and her colleagues, including Professor Richard Oram from the University of Exeter Medical School and researchers from Sweden and the US, found that individuals with a father with T1D were 1.8 times more likely to develop the condition compared to those with a mother with T1D. This increased risk was consistent across individuals diagnosed both in childhood and adulthood.
“Previous research has suggested that maternal T1D might offer some early life protection against the condition,” said Dr. Allen. “Our study extends this finding, showing that this relative protection continues into adult life.”
The researchers also examined genetic risk scores based on over 60 genes linked to T1D and found no significant difference between those with affected mothers and fathers. This suggests that the observed protective effect is not due to inherited genetic factors but is related to the intrauterine environment.
One crucial finding is that the protective effect associated with having a mother with T1D is significant only if the mother was diagnosed before the child was born. This implies that the exposure to T1D during pregnancy might play a critical role in this protection.
Dr. Allen emphasizes the need for further research to identify what specifically about the intrauterine exposure—whether it’s high blood glucose levels, insulin treatment, antibodies, or another factor—provides this protective effect. Understanding these mechanisms could pave the way for developing new preventative treatments for T1D.
Professor Oram highlighted the study’s potential impact on future therapies. “This research has significantly deepened our understanding of parental risk differences and relative maternal protection. It could lead to new therapeutic strategies to prevent T1D.”
Dr. Allen concludes, “Unraveling why having a mother with T1D provides relative protection might help us design interventions that mimic these protective elements. While progress in preventative treatments has been slow, this research brings hope that future therapies could delay or even prevent T1D onset in high-risk individuals.”
This new study underscores the importance of ongoing research into type 1 diabetes and its prevention, aiming for breakthroughs that could significantly alter the future management of this challenging autoimmune condition.
More Information: Maternal type 1 diabetes confers long-term relative protection against type 1 diabetes in the offspring: results from five cohort studies, Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD).
