Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has been increasing worldwide. One explanation for this is the rise in sedentary lifestyles amoung the population. Regular physical activity is important for our cellular health and our cells' ability to make necessary proteins, including the protein mitofusin 2. The mitofusin 2 protein plays a role in insulin signalling and maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. The lack of physical activity in most of our population results in low levels of mitofusin 2, contributing to the development of type 2 diabetes. The aim of my proposed research will be to test the ability of a drug that mimics the mitofusin 2 protein to control type 2 diabetes symptoms. The results of this research will give insight into the possibility of a novel treatment for type 2 diabetes. Currently, the most common treatment for type 2 diabetes is insulin therapy, which is classified as a high risk medication. Taking insulin poses many risks to the patient. The most notable risks are the causing of a very dangerous low blood sugar response if the wrong dose is taken, and the degradation of the body's natural blood sugar control in advanced stages of type 2 diabetes causing life long insulin dependence. It could be possible that a mitofusin 2 analog drug could replace the need for insulin therapy, providing a safer and more effective treatment for millions of individuals with type 2 diabetes world wide.