Research Areas

Current funding applications and the central theme of the laboratory:

 

Understanding the mechanism of abnormal insulin secretion is critical to developing novel therapies to treat type 2 diabetes. However, before we can even begin to develop therapies to improve insulin release we first must understand how the β-cell senses nutrients under normal physiological conditions. Since the current model for glucose regulated insulin release is incomplete, my laboratory will focus on shedding light on this area (current CIHR grant).

 

Islet transplantation is an important treatment option for type 1 diabetes however there is only a limited supply of human islets. Another focus in the laboratory is to use a novel gene delivery system (ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction, UTMD) to enhance islet function/ survival prior to transplantation. If successful this may reduce the number of islets required for transplantation increasing the number of potential recipients from each donor. These studies are the focus of my Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation grant application (Co-applicant Dr. Patrick MacDonald, pending).

 

These grants represent the two central themes in the laboratory; 1) to ascertain how the β-cell senses glucose and 2) to search for ways to reduce the number of islets required for islet transplantation. These two themes are connected in that theme one will provide novel targets to enhance islet function in theme two.

 

Summary:

 

My laboratories research for the next 5 years will focus on understanding the mechanism of how the pancreatic β-cell senses and secretes insulin in response to a fuel stimulus and to use this information to enhance islet function to reduce the number of islets required for transplantation.

 

Long term goals:

 

The laboratories long-term goals are to 1) discover novel drug targets for enhancing islet function to treat type 2 diabetes and 2) develop a renewable source of β-cells (e.g. cell therapy) for the treatment of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.