Did you know?
Diabetes is in epidemic proportions. It is estimated that 275 Australians develop diabetes every day. Although half remain undiagnosed, it is estimated that 1.7 million people in Australia are currently living with diabetes. Diabetes occurs when there is either not enough insulin produced by the body or the insulin is not working as it should.
In a healthy person, when a meal is consumed, the food is broken down into glucose and absorbed into the bloodstream. At the same time, the hormone insulin is released from the pancreas into the bloodstream. Insulin works like a key; it unlocks the cells of the body to enable the glucose to travel from the bloodstream into the cells where it is needed for energy.
Type 2 diabetes, or adult onset diabetes, occurs when the insulin that is produced by the body does not work effectively. Using the analogy above, it’s as though the key is no longer working in the lock. The cells within the body become insensitive to insulin, and so rather than the glucose being taken up by the cells, it continues to circulate around the bloodstream, resulting in complications like blood vessel damage and blindness.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, accounting for around 85% of cases. Although there is a strong genetic predisposition for type 2 diabetes, the risk of developing the disease is greatly increased when associated with lifestyle factors such as high blood pressure, being overweight (in particular if you carry your weight around your waist), having a poor diet and leading a sedentary lifestyle. There is currently no cure for the disease, although it can initially be managed with a healthy diet and exercise, with tablets and insulin required later on in the development of the disease.
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One in five children in Australia are overweight or obese. The incidence of type 2 diabetes in children has also increased significantly with the onset of the obesity epidemic.
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Diamantina’s research into type 2 diabetes
Researchers in the Cell Signalling Group, led by Associate Professor Jon Whitehead, study the mechanisms that determine how and why our cells are become insensitive to insulin and the role that our hormones play in determining our metabolism. These processes become defective in insulin resistance and obesity, resulting in type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Adiponectin is a hormone that is released by fat cells (adipocytes). It is a beneficial hormone that makes cells become more sensitive to insulin (improving metabolism), has anti-inflammatory properties, and reduces accumulation of fatty plaque deposits on artery walls. People who are obese and/or have type 2 diabetes have lower levels of adiponectin compared to healthy people. The Cell Signalling Group is investigating the biology of adiponectin as it may be a potential therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes.
The group recently identified the enzyme inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) as a potential anti-obesity target. This enzyme becomes active when insulin binds to receptors on the surface of a cell. The group recently showed that blocking the action of this enzyme appears to inhibit the formation of fat cells, therefore reducing diet-induced obesity.
More information
For more detailed information about the research that is being done in the Cell Signalling Group, click on the link. For more information about type 2 diabetes, we recommend you visit the Diabetes Australia website.