Approved research

Identification of genetic factors involved in the aetiology of diabetic polyneuropathy

Lay summary

Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is the most common cause of neuropathy worldwide. It is a frequent complication of diabetes, affecting about half of all diabetic patients. DPN has severe consequences that highly affect the quality of life, such as persistent pain and foot ulcers that may lead to amputation. It has a progressive nature and affects patients for many years, thus posing a substantial economic burden on society. The underlying mechanism causing DPN are poorly understood and there is currently no cure. The proposed project answers this unmet need by investigating putative genetic factors protecting or predisposing diabetic patients to DPN. We will identify genes involved in the disease course of DPN by investigating genetic information of a large group of patients with DPN compared to patients without any signs of neuropathy. This study could facilitate future genetic counselling and management of diabetic patients. Moreover, it could highlight unknown disease mechanisms, which might pave the way towards finding a cure for this common debilitating disorder.