Found: A Gene for Diabetes
A common gene variant behind many cases of type 2 diabetes

Source: "Variant of Transcription Factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) Gene Confers Risk of Type 2 Diabetes"
S. F. Grant et al.
Nature Genetics 38(3): 320-323

Results: Scientists at deCode Genetics in Iceland identified a gene variant that accounts for more than 20 percent of cases of type 2 diabetes. About 30 percent of Americans carry the gene variant; those who have one copy have a 45 percent greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, while for those who have two copies (about 7 percent of the U.S. population), the risk is 141 percent greater. The gene, called TCF7L2, regulates the activity of other genes, and the protein it codes for is involved in a biochemical pathway believed to play a role in the maintenance of proper glucose levels.