Von Gierke's disease adopts an orphan (and its partner).

The enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase is critical for maintaining fasting blood sugar levels by increasing hepatic glucose production. Its absence in patients with von Gierke's disease leads to severe hypoglycemia and abnormal accumulation of glycogen (glycogenosis) in the liver. New players that control the expression of glucose-6-phosphatase have been identified that may provide insight into this metabolic disorder, as well as type 2 diabetes.