News & Research

    University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama

Role of TLR4-mediated unfolding protein response in vascular insulin resistance

General Research Subject: Both Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes

Focus: Complications, Complications\Macrovascular-Cellular Mechanisms of Atherogenesis in Diabetes, Insulin Action, Insulin Action\Insulin Resistance, Obesity\Animal Models

Type of Grant: Basic Science

Project Start Date: January 1, 2012

Project End Date: December 31, 2014

Research Description

Insulin resistance is a hall mark of cardiometabolic syndrome including diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. Obesity stimulated chronic inflammatory response is implicated as one of the mechanisms for insulin resistance. Vascular actions of insulin maintain vascular tone by balanced release of vasodilators and vasoconstrictors. Vascular insulin resistance caused by high fat diet shows impaired insulin stimulated vasorelaxation that may contribute to pathophysyiology of cardiovascular disease.

We propose to study the molecular mechanisms for high fat diet induced impairment of vascular actions of insulin with respect to cross-talk between insulin and inflammatory signaling. Accomplishment of our aim will elucidate the role of high fat diet-induced inflammation in vascular tissues as well as molecular targets for the treatment and prevention of obesity induced metabolic and cardiovascular disorders.

Research Profile

What area of diabetes research does your project cover? What role will this particular project play in preventing, treating and/or curing diabetes?

The research proposal is focused on investigating the mechanisms for obesity-induced insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction. Obesity increases chronic inflammatory responses that contribute to both metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. I would like to identify the specific molecules that cause obesity-mediated endothelial dysfunction in diabetes. The results of this study will give us more specific information for novel therapeutic targets to treat and prevent diabetes.

If a person with diabetes were to ask you how your project will help them in the future, how would you respond?

The study will contribute to understand the mechanisms for pathophysiology of diabetes and its cardiovascular complications. The results of this study will help more tissue specific and efficient treatment as well as prevention of obesity-induced insulin resistance, diabetes as well as cardiovascular complications.

Why is it important for you, personally, to become involved in diabetes research? What role will this award play in your research efforts?

I have been trained in Diabetes research area more than 13 years. My PhD training is in molecular biology which contributes to discovering molecular mechanisms for diabetes and cardiovascular complications. I was previously awarded a Junior Faculty Award from ADA, which have been helpful very much to develop my independent research career. Now I am awarded a Basic Science Research , which will further establish my career and make me help contribute to community and people's life.

In what direction do you see the future of diabetes research going?

The future diabetes research is going to be more physiology oriented and clinically relevant. Translational research will be more emphasized. Also, the central regulation of peripheral metabolism will be expanded and more intensely studied.

Despite this trend, the basic science research area focused on molecular mechanism studies should not be underestimated, because it have been contribute to develop novel molecular targets to treat and improve quality of lives who has diabetes.