3 December 2024: New OPTOMICS publication out in PLOS Genetics!
The latest OPTOMICS project research has been published in PLOS Genentics! Titled “Disentangling the consequences of type 2 diabetes on targeted metabolite profiles using causal inference and interaction QTL analyses“, the authors investigated the complex relationship between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolite levels. Using data from the UK Biobank and the Nightingale panel, which includes 249 metabolites, the study explored how T2D affects these metabolites and their genetic regulation. In the paper, 79 metabolites with a causal association to T2D, primarily lipid-related classes, and found that T2D liability causally affects twice as many metabolites.
The study also conducted an interaction quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis, revealing four metabolites with attenuated genetic regulation in T2D cases compared to controls. These findings suggest that T2D impacts the genetic regulation of metabolite levels. Additionally, the researchers identified 165 metabolites associated with T2D complications, with only a few distinguishing between microvascular and macrovascular complications.
Overall, this research provides a detailed map of how T2D influences metabolite levels and their genetic regulation, offering insights into the disease’s progression and its complications.
The work performed in this study will serve as a building block for creating the OPTOMICS Digital Twin for type 2 diabetes, which aims to improve risk prediction and provide more individualized patient healthcare.