Grant: Operating Grant

The prevalence of obesity and diabetes have reached epidemic proportions globally and is expected to continue to increase. Although environment factors have been implicated to play key roles in the development of both conditions, a better understanding of the underlying physiological changes in response to such environmental stress is required to design and develop novel therapeutic strategies. Recent studies in my laboratory revealed a novel pathway by which diabetes development may be slowed or halted. We discovered that, through studying a mouse model of specific genetic disorder in humans, the cholesterol content of a particular cell compartment called endoplasmic reticulum is of critical importance in promoting diabetes. Here we will use combined animal models and biochemical approaches to further elucidate these pathways with the hope that we can better pharmacological strategies to combat the diabetes epidemic.