Latest news with #V.Mohan
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
MDRF and Russia's Almazov Centre Partner for diabetes research
Chennai: The Madras Diabetes Research Foundation ( MDRF ) has signed a research collaboration with the Almazov National Medical Research Centre , based in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The partnership will focus on developing new diagnostics and treatment strategies for diabetes, with an emphasis on Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM). It will also explore emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and precision medicine in diabetes care. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Dr. V. Mohan of MDRF and Prof. Evgeny Shlyakhto, Director General of the Almazov Centre. The agreement includes training and exchange programs for medical specialists, joint conferences, academic meetings, collaborative publications, and educational and cultural exchanges. Joint research projects on gestational diabetes have begun, involving Dr. Polina V. Popova and her team from Almazov's Endocrinology Department and Dr. Mohan's team at MDRF. The collaboration is expected to expand further in the coming months.
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and Russia's Almazov Centre sign MoU for diabetes research
The Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Almazov National Medical Research Centre in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to advance collaborative research in diabetes care. A press release said the partnership would focus on developing new diagnostic and treatment strategies, particularly for gestational diabetes mellitus. It will also explore emerging areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and precision medicine in diabetes management. The MoU was signed by V. Mohan, Chairman, MDRF, and Evgeny Shlyakhto, Director-General of the Almazov Centre. The agreement includes joint research projects, academic exchanges, collaborative publications, and training programmes. Dr. Mohan said: 'This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to tackling diabetes through scientific innovation and global cooperation. AI and precision medicine offer exciting possibilities to improve care.' Dr. Mohan also delivered a keynote on AI in diabetes at the 8th Saint Petersburg Medical Innovation Forum, held at the Almazov Centre. Joint research on gestational diabetes is already under way, with teams led by Polina V. Popova from Almazov and MDRF researchers, the press release added.
The Print
08-05-2025
- Health
- The Print
New subtype of diabetes found in India could change how rare forms of disease are treated
These patients with diabetes, now identified as those with Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) 15, were subjected to extensive genetic testing due to their atypical biomarkers—measurable indicators that reflect a certain disease. The discovery by scientists associated with the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Centre of Excellence, in collaboration with Washington University in Missouri, US, is based on the identification of a new diabetes subtype in 20 patients in India. New Delhi: Scientists from India, along with their counterparts in the US, have discovered a new subtype of the disease in Indian patients, marking a landmark achievement in diabetes research and potentially transforming how certain rare forms of the disease are diagnosed and treated worldwide. MODY is a rare and genetic form of diabetes, distinct from commoner forms of the disease such as type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It is caused by mutations in a single gene, typically present in adolescents and young adults. MODY is estimated to affect nearly 2-3 percent of all people with diabetes. While 14 MODY subtypes have been recognised so far, this newly identified variant—named MODY 15—upends long-standing assumptions about how the disease develops. The discovery has been published in the journal Diabetes two weeks ago. 'We are excited that we have discovered a new subtype of MODY diabetes. This work underscores the importance of genetic testing and functional understanding for precision diagnosis of diabetes in general and MODY subtypes of diabetes in particular,' Dr V. Mohan, MDRF chairman and a researcher associated with the discovery, said in a press briefing Thursday. By identifying these unique subtypes of MODY, clinicians can get closer to providing more precise diagnosis, treatment and better care for individuals. Also Read: Pune-based firm receives major international grant to accelerate development of Nipah virus vaccine How new subtype is distinct Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is actually a group of common endocrine disorders, mainly characterised by sustained high blood sugar levels due to absent or low insulin levels. The main symptoms of disease—seen in almost all forms—include excessive thirst, hunger and urination, weight loss, fatigue and blurred vision, and, if left untreated, complications such as disorders of kidney, cardiovascular system, nerves and eyes. While type 1 diabetes is characterised by complete loss of the insulin-producing beta cells due to autoimmune or idiopathic (unknown) reasons, type 2 diabetes is mainly triggered by insulin resistance or the body's inability to respond to insulin, often combined with relatively reduced insulin secretion. MODY, on the other hand, is triggered due to one of several single-gene mutations causing defects in insulin production. Colin G. Nichols, the lead researcher of this work from Washington University's School of Medicine, explained that MODY 15 is caused by an affected ABCC8 gene that controls the functioning of insulin-producing β cells in the pancreas. Usually, ABCC8 mutations work through Gain Of Function (GOF) mutations, which lead to enhanced ABCC8 protein activity, and this can occur in the neonatal period when it is known as neonatal diabetes, he explained in a statement. In adults, it occurs as ABCC8 MODY or MODY 12, Nicholas said, adding that through his lab's collaborative work with MDRF, using various experiments in the laboratory, researchers were able to show some novel mutations in the Indian patients with MODY, which occur as Loss Of Function (LOF). 'LOF mutations abolish or reduce the activity of protein, and they normally lead to Congenital Hyperinsulinism (CHI), which presents as persistent low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia) in childhood. These patients seem to have had CHI earlier but crossed over to the opposite condition, of high blood sugar (diabetes) in later life,' he said, adding, 'This is the first demonstration of this mechanism in a MODY subtype to our knowledge.' Radha Venkatesan, executive scientific officer, head of molecular genetics, and the lead researcher from MDRF, said that the discovery of the novel genetic subtype of MODY represents a significant advancement in understanding this type of diabetes and explains the function of potassium ATP (K-ATP) channels in the pancreatic beta cell membrane. K-ATP channels are a kind of molecular switch which determines whether or not insulin is released. 'Through our work in the lab and follow-up of our patients, we propose that diabetes driven by KATP-Gain of Function and KATP-Loss Of Function mutations should be officially recognised as distinct disease subtypes, with different molecular basis and different clinical and therapeutic implications,' Venkatesan said. Implications on treatment for rare forms of diabetes Type 1 diabetes is mainly treated with insulin replacement therapy. On the other hand, type 2 diabetes, in nearly 90 percent of cases, is managed by anti-diabetic medicines and lifestyle modification, even though nearly 10 percent of patients with this condition tend to need insulin. Some forms of MODY can be treated with anti-diabetic medicine, while others need insulin, and a few do not need any long-term treatment at all. Talking to ThePrint, Mohan explained that genetic testing to identify the subtype of diabetes is carried out in atypical cases, when doctors are not sure whether somebody has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. 'We have got certain criteria to do genetic testing for. For example, all children below 6 months of age have to undergo genetic testing,' he said. 'Secondly, if we feel that somebody has type 1 diabetes clinically, but all the markers for type 1 diabetes, like GAD (glutamic acid decarboxylase, associated with type 1 antibodies), antibodies are negative, and there is a family history of diabetes this suggests that it may not be type 1 diabetes.' Similarly, said the clinician-scientist, if one is treating a patient as type 2 diabetes but if the patient is lean, does not have obesity, and other markers of insulin resistance—such as the thickening of the skin of the neck or 'acanthosis nigricans'—which are all classical features of type 2 diabetes, then doctors need to probe whether this could this be some other form of diabetes and, in such individuals, genetic testing can be planned. Regarding the treatment, if it is a Gain of Function (GOF) ABCC8 mutation, like neonatal diabetes, MODY 12, MODY 1 or MODY 3, then sulphonylurea—a common medication for type 2 diabetes—is the treatment of choice, Mohan explained. 'In the case of MODY 15 patients, sulphonylurea treatment did not work in any of these patients and they were managed with different drugs,' he said. But since they were a series of patients who came from different centres and were referred to MDRF mainly for the genetic testing, the researchers are still not clear which drug would be best. 'We will have to collect the largest series of patients and do a randomised clinical trial to see which drug would suit these patients best,' Mohan added. The discovery not only expands the scientific understanding of MODY, researchers have maintained, but also underscores the urgent need for wider access to genetic screening, particularly in countries like India, where such testing is not yet part of routine diabetes care. This breakthrough could mark a turning point in advancing personalised diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management for thousands of individuals living with undetected or misclassified forms of diabetes, they said. (Edited by Sanya Mathur) Also Read: Use nimesulide only after exhausting first-line options—expert panel under drug regulator CDSCO
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
A novel type of diabetes? Indian, US researchers identify new genetic variant among kids
For the first time, researchers from the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) in Chennai and Washington University in St. Louis, USA, have identified a new subtype of diabetes. This breakthrough discovery focusses on a rare inherited form of diabetes known as Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY), which usually appears in childhood or adolescence. The study, published in the journal Diabetes, was based on a joint investigation that involved detailed genetic and laboratory analysis of Indian patients diagnosed with MODY. Their findings reveal how a specific gene, ABCC8, which is crucial for the proper functioning of the insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells, causes the MODY subtype. Insulin levels are crucial for blood sugar control. 'This is a major step forward. By identifying these unique subtypes of ABCC8-MODY, we are close to providing more precise diagnosis, treatment and better care for young patients,' said diabetologist Dr V. Mohan, Chairman of MDRF. MODY is an uncommon, inherited form of diabetes caused by single-gene mutations that affect pancreatic insulin production. To date, 13 subtypes of MODY have been identified. Prof Colin G. Nichols from Washington University in St Louis, USA and lead researcher said that gene mutations usually increase the activity of the ABCC8 protein, which can cause neonatal diabetes in infants or a form of diabetes called ABCC8 MODY in adults. However, researchers found some new mutations in Indian patients that actually reduce or stop the protein's activity. These types of mutations usually cause a condition called Congenital Hyperinsulinism (CHI), where children have persistently low blood sugar. Interestingly, the patients in this study seemed to have had CHI in childhood but later developed high blood sugar, or diabetes, as adults. Essentially these findings suggest that even within the same gene, different mutations can cause very different effects — ranging from too much insulin to too little. This highlights the importance of detailed genetic and functional testing. 'This work underscores the importance of genetic testing and functional understanding for precision diagnosis of diabetes in general and MODY subtypes of diabetes in particular. We also observed that patients with this new MODY subtype do not respond to Sulphonylureas (treatment) unlike other forms of MODY like MODY 3, MODY 1 and MODY 12,' Dr Mohan said. There is currently no way to prevent these disorders as they result from genetic defects. However, identifying individuals at risk through clinical signs or family history can help predict who may develop the condition and allow for timely intervention, according to Dr Mohan. He further noted that genetic testing is not necessary for every patient. 'Some cases present with classical clinical features that experienced clinicians should be able to recognise. It is essential to know how to detect these presentations to ensure accurate diagnosis and proper management,' he added. This type of diabetes needs precision medicine, feels Dr Mohan. 'Each type of breast cancer is now treated based on its specific molecular profile. However, in conditions like diabetes this personalized approach has yet to be study lays the ground,' he added. Anuradha Mascarenhas is a journalist with The Indian Express and is based in Pune. A senior editor, Anuradha writes on health, research developments in the field of science and environment and takes keen interest in covering women's issues. With a career spanning over 25 years, Anuradha has also led teams and often coordinated the edition. ... Read More
