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Review
. 2021 Feb 22;9(2):221.
doi: 10.3390/biomedicines9020221.

Metabolic Diseases and Down Syndrome: How Are They Linked Together?

Manon Moreau  1 , Soukaina Benhaddou  1 , Rodolphe Dard  1   2   3 , Stefania Tolu  4 , Rim Hamzé  4 , François Vialard  2   3 , Jamileh Movassat  4 , Nathalie Janel  1
Affiliations
Review

Metabolic Diseases and Down Syndrome: How Are They Linked Together?

Manon Moreau et al. Biomedicines. .

Abstract

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of a third copy of chromosome 21, associated with intellectual disabilities. Down syndrome is associated with anomalies of both the nervous and endocrine systems. Over the past decades, dramatic advances in Down syndrome research and treatment have helped to extend the life expectancy of these patients. Improved life expectancy is obviously a positive outcome, but it is accompanied with the need to address previously overlooked complications and comorbidities of Down syndrome, including obesity and diabetes, in order to improve the quality of life of Down syndrome patients. In this focused review, we describe the associations between Down syndrome and comorbidities, obesity and diabetes, and we discuss the understanding of proposed mechanisms for the association of Down syndrome with metabolic disorders. Drawing molecular mechanisms through which Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes could be linked to Down syndrome could allow identification of novel drug targets and provide therapeutic solutions to limit the development of metabolic and cognitive disorders.

Keywords: central regulation food intake; diabetes; down syndrome; endocrine disorders; immune system; inflammation; obesity; thyroid dysfunction.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Link between Down syndrome (DS) and metabolic diseases.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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