The imprinted Dlk1 gene in development and metabolism: a model for epigenetic control of developmental programming

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Metabolic diseases are growing in world-wide prevalence; for example, over 1 million people died of diabetes in 2005. This figure is estimated to rise by 50% in the next ten years. Obesity is the most critical factor in the emergence of metabolic diseases; this too is growing in prevalence, particularly in the Western world. The pancreas is a key organ in the regulation of metabolism because it regulates how our bodies convert sugar into energy. Understanding the molecular mechanisms linking the abnormal development and function of the pancreas with metabolic disease, will help us understand this major health problem and contribute to improvements in disease prevention and the development of treatment strategies, in addition to contributing to our basic understanding of networks linking developmental and physiological processes.