Impact of fat-derived signalling proteins on islet cell function
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Identifying fat-derived signalling proteins that can improve islet beta-cell function
IRAS ID
293789
Contact name
Shanta Persaud
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body is unable to regulate blood glucose because the islet beta-cells in the pancreas do not release enough insulin, or insulin does not work properly. The control of insulin secretion by the beta cells is complex and not fully understood. We know that some proteins can stimulate insulin release and increase the numbers of beta-cells by binding to receptors on beta-cells called G-Protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). We have identified that there are nearly 300 GPCR receptors on beta-cells, but the functions of most are not known. Studying the proteins that bind to these receptors may help us understand how to improve beta cell function and support the development of new drugs for diabetes.
Fat cells present in the abdomen (known as omental fat) play an important role in regulating blood glucose by as yet unknown mechanisms. We are interested in the possibility that fat cells “talk” to beta-cells by releasing proteins that bind to some of the GPCRs that we have identified. We want to find out if fat cells make proteins that interact with GPCRs on beta cells and if this differs between people who are lean or overweight. This is important because insulin does not work as well in some overweight people who are more likely to develop diabetes.
To study this we ned to collect small omental fat samples from lean and overweight people undergoing routine abdominal surgery. These will be processed in our laboratory by extracting RNA (the template for the proteins the cell makes) and by mass spectrometry to determine what proteins are released from the fat cells. By comparing results from lean and overweight participants we hope to determine which proteins may be of relevance in the development of diabetes and which may be targets for treatment.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/NW/0100
Date of REC Opinion
1 Apr 2021
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion