The genetic prediction and classification of adult-onset type 1 diabetes using polygenic scores

Project Summary

Adult-onset type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a diagnostic challenge which can lead to misdiagnosis as type 2 diabetes (T2D) and delay in appropriate treatment. Genetic tools called polygenic risk score (PRS), which add up the effects of many genes to estimate a person’s risk of developing T1D, may be useful to tackle this dilemma, but have not been thoroughly tested in adults nor in people from diverse ancestries. Our research aims to determine whether polygenic risk scores (PRS) can improve the prediction and classification of adult-onset type 1 diabetes (T1D) in individuals from various ancestral backgrounds. In the short term, the goal is to improve clinical care by enabling more accurate diagnoses. In the long term, this work aims to improve the prediction of disease development in adults, identifying those who may benefit from therapies that could delay or prevent the disease.