Type 2 diabetes poses a very serious threat in Ireland. Already hundreds of thousands of Irish people have the condition, in which cells in the body become insensitive to the hormone insulin and blood sugar levels are poorly controlled. That in turn increases the risk of disabling complications such as heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and limb amputation.
The 3U Diabetes collaboration aligns a number of interlinked areas of research into this chronic and costly condition. Researchers in Maynooth University are teasing out the molecular mechanisms by which cells become insensitive to insulin, while experts at DCU can view the issue from a more whole-body level, and RCSI offers the clinical perspective and samples from patients with diabetes.
The grouping is developing a platform in the lab that uses human tissues to mimic the development of diabetes in humans. Crucially, the lab model will offer a test-bed for chemical compounds developed at Maynooth University that show potential for improving blood sugar control.
The platform could offer an important route for evaluating potential drugs and therapies work before deciding whether to move them into costly clinical trials.
3U Partnership’s 4th Annual Conference Current Challenges in Diabetes Research begins on 15 January 2016
For more information and to register for conference please visit:
http://3u.ie/3u-partnerships-4th-annual-conference-current-challenges-in-diabetes-research-3/