Diabetes – Islet Cell Exocytosis

Our research

Our research aims to understand the impact of deregulated insulin- and glucagon-secretion from pancreatic islet of Langerhans in the aetiology of type 2 diabetes. We also have an interest in islet cell function in more rare diabetes types, such as cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD) and glucocorticoid-induced diabetes.

The main focus of our research is to investigate the regulation of insulin and glucagon secretion from a cell physiological perspective and with a specific interest in how non-coding RNAs such as microRNA are involved in the control of islet cell function.

Our findings suggest differential expression of microRNAs in the islets during development of type 2 diabetes, and that microRNAs can be utilized as therapeutic targets in the islets or as blood-based biomarkers for disease detection.  

Aims

• To decipher human islet microRNA networks and blood-based microRNA biomarkers to disclose central microRNAs in diabetes development.
• To investigate how islet cell function is regulated by external and internal signals, to understand if and how nutrient and drugs, exocrine-endocrine crosstalk, and paracrine islet signalling are part of the development of diabetes.  

Impact

An overall better understanding of the islet cell function will improve therapeutic treatment of diabetes, and we anticipate finding novel therapeutic targets to adjust deregulated insulin and glucagon secretion.

We aim to detect microRNAs and other molecules in serum samples that will give new possibilities for personalised diagnostics and prediction of diabetes.  

Research output

Link to a list of research output by the group in Lund University’s research portal

Team members

Link to a list of team members in Lund University’s research portal