MALAT1, initially identified in association with lung cancer, plays a significant role in regulating gene expression and cellular processes. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MALAT1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus in postmenopausal Iraqi women. The study included 50 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes and 30 healthy controls, aged between 48 and 77 years. The expression levels of lncRNA MALAT1 in serum were measured using RT-qPCR. Results showed that the level of MALAT1 expression in the serum of women with type 2 diabetes was significantly higher (4.46-fold) compared to the healthy control group. Moreover, a significant correlation was observed between elevated MALAT1 expression and several diabetes risk factors such as hypertension, high triglycerides, and total protein (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that MALAT1 may contribute to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and could serve as a potential biomarker for its early detection. Furthermore, the study indicated that lifestyle factors, such as weight loss and smoking cessation, can influence MALAT1 expression. Given the crucial role of MALAT1 in diabetes, this molecule could not only be used for the early diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in postmenopausal women but also as a novel therapeutic target for this disease. However, further studies are required to confirm these findings and develop MALAT1-based therapies.
