Genomics of Islet (Dys)function and Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Pancreatic islet dysfunction and beta cell failure are hallmarks of type 2 diabetes (T2D) pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss how genome-wide association studies (GWASs) and recent developments in islet (epi)genome and transcriptome profiling (particularly single cell analyses) are providing novel insights into the genetic, environmental, and cellular contributions to islet (dys)function and T2D pathogenesis. Moving forward, study designs that interrogate and model genetic variation (e.g., allelic profiling and (epi)genome editing) will be critical to dissect the molecular genetics of T2D pathogenesis, to build next-generation cellular and animal models, and to develop precision medicine approaches to detect, treat, and prevent islet (dys)function and T2D.