Research in a Nutshell
Reduced ability of insulin to lower blood glucose is known as insulin resistance. This is common, is closely associated with obesity, and is believed to drive numerous major diseases. We aim to understand how it occurs and how it is linked to diabetes, fatty liver, high blood fat levels, reduced fertility and cancer. To do this we focus on rare and severe disorders caused by changes in individual genes, including severe insulin resistance, low blood glucose, and/or excess tissue growth. We study people with known genetic changes, look for new genetic changes in studies of people and populations, and investigate the changes we find in mice and cells. Specific interests include:
Defects of insulin signalling: We use these to test which diseases are caused by lack of insulin action, and which by compensatory increased insulin action. We are systematically studying all possible insulin receptor mutations, and are investigating anti-receptor antibodies as potential treatments for extreme insulin receptor defects.
Mutations increasing insulin-like signalling: Activating mutations, especially in the PIK3CA gene, usually occur after conception, are found patchily in the body, and often lead to devastating tissue overgrowth. We are studying human stem cells to address fundamental disease mechanisms.
Genetic disorders disrupting fat cell energy generation and/or DNA damage repair that cause insulin resistance: We use these to understand lifecourse resilience of human fat tissue, which is crucial for metabolic health.
People | |
| Robert Semple | Group Leader |
| Dominique McCormick | Postdoctoral Scientist |
| Vahid Aslanzadeh | Postdoctoral Scientist |
| Ineke Luijten | Postdoctoral Scientist |
| Eleanor McKay | PhD student |
| Sheldon D'Silva | PhD student |
| Fatima Hamna | PhD student |