Authors
Ana Luiza Arruda, Archit Singh, Ozvan Bocher, Benjamin F Voight, Andrew P Morris, Eleftheria Zeggini
Published in
HGG advances. Pages 100667. Sep 01, 2026. Epub Sep 01, 2026.
Abstract
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and dementia frequently co-occur, yet the biological mechanisms underlying this comorbidity remain incompletely understood. Here, we systematically investigate shared genetic signals between T2D and three forms of neurodegenerative dementia (Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia, and sporadic frontotemporal dementia) using large-scale genome-wide association studies of clinically diagnosed cases. We identify five genomic regions harbouring shared association signals between T2D and at least one dementia subtype. Among these, the APOE locus was common to all dementia subtypes, whereas the remaining four loci (GBA, CRY2/PEX16/MAPK8IP1, INO80E, and NSF) were each shared exclusively between T2D and one dementia subtype. Integrating multi-omics data across several disease-relevant tissues and orthogonal lines of functional evidence, we prioritize 26 candidate genes, through which these shared genetic loci potentially mediate their effect. Pathway enrichment highlights lipid and lipoprotein regulatory biology as a central shared axis. Mendelian randomization analyses using genetically regulated gene expression in relevant tissues indicate pleiotropic mechanisms with divergent phenotypic consequences. Our findings identify shared genetic loci between T2D and neurodegenerative dementia, revealing systemic metabolic-neurodegenerative trade-offs and highlighting key genes that underpin the comorbidity, providing a framework for improved understanding of age-related multimorbidity.
PMID:
42681870
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 02 Sep 2026.
Read full publication at:
Please sign in
to see all details.
Advertisement
Stats
- Recommendations n/a n/a positive of 0 vote(s)
- Views 30
- Comments 0