An inherited defect that causes an energy shortage in the powerhouses of the body’s cells may be a major factor in development of type 2 diabetes in children of parents with the disease, new research suggests.In a study published in the Feb. 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers say mitochondria -- the cells’ energy centers -- don’t appear to function properly in the children of parents with type 2 diabetes. That could lead to an accumulation of fat inside muscle cells and development of insulin resistance, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes, the researchers say.
