In this project Nina will use multi-color reporters to exploit how the signaling cues that regulate differentiation and cellular expansion during human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) progression to insulin producing beta cells communicate.
A mechanistic understanding of organ regeneration is fundamental for developing tissue replacement therapies with which to treat injury or disease. With the overarching goal of understanding the regenerative capacity and cellular plasticity of the developing pancreas, I aim to explore the extent of tissue recovery, revealing the origin of the regenerating pancreatic cells and analyzing the signaling pathways involved in this process.
The most fundamental challenge for all living organisms is to sense and respond to nutrient-derived signals in order to adapt their metabolism and physiology to promote survival and achieve balanced growth. Thus, synthesis and metabolism of a large variety of metabolites and macromolecules must be strictly coordinated to meet the nutritional requirements of cells and organisms.
Fully automated control of blood glucose (BG) level by means of a portable artificial pancreas (AP) will substantially increase the quality of life for type 1 diabetes patients, by reducing the burden of meticulous considerations about manual adjustment of insulin dosage and timing.
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity are characterized by insulin resistance (IR) in skeletal muscle, liver, and adipose tissue, but the exact molecular mechanisms underlying IR are not fully understood. Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that continuously undergo fusion and fission to maintain a healthy mitochondrial population.
Proper function of β-cells is essential for maintaining glucose homeostasis. A significant reduction in both β-cell mass and function is observed in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Recently, it has been questioned whether β-cells actually are lost in type 2 diabetes or rather are dedifferentiating into less mature cells resulting in reduced functional β-cell mass.
Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) analogues are currently successfully used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. However, the molecular mechanisms behind these effects of GLP-1 analogue treatment on glucose and energy metabolism remain largely unknown.
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