News & Research

University of California, San Diego San Diego, California

Transcription-regulation of adiponectin gene expression

General Research Subject: Both Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes

Focus: Adipocytes

Type of Grant: Career Development

Project Start Date: July 1, 2007

Project End Date: June 30, 2012

Research Description

Funded by The Estate of Thomas R. Lee

The physiological definition of adipose tissue has been changed dramatically after the discoveries of adipose-derived hormones that appear to regulate energy metabolism and insulin sensitivity in other tissues. It is well accepted now that adipose tissue is not only an energy depot but an endocrine organ. Adiponectin is a hormone that is mainly synthesized and secreted from adipose tissue. Recent studies have demonstrated that adiponectin plays an important role in maintaining energy or glucose homeostasis. Adiponectin increases insulin sensitivity, but also regulates immunological responses and the development of cardiovascular diseases. It has been well observed that there is a significant decrease of adiponectin gene expression in adipose tissue and blood adiponectin concentrations in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, it is still a mystery about what causes the decrease of adiponectin gene expression in these patients. The first step in solving this puzzle is to elucidate the regulation of adiponectin gene expression under normal physiological condition. By using cultured adipocytes and molecular biology techniques, our preliminary studies indicate that there is a Foxo1-C/EBPá transcriptional protein complex at the adiponectin promoter, which is the region of a gene that binds with transcription factors while controlling gene expression. This project will further determine the mechanism regarding adiponectin gene expression. Some cutting edge techniques and transgenic mice model will be used. The results will generate novel and pertinent information. It will open a new research avenue or discover new therapeutic targets for obesity and obesity related diseases.

Reseacher Profile

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

Adiponectin is an adipose-derived hormone that plays an important role in maintaining insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. However, blood adiponectin concentrations are reduced in obese and type 2 diabetes subjects. Our study will investigate the underlying mechanism of reduced adiponectin gene expression in obesity and type 2 diabetes. This study covers regulation of adiponectin or related adipocytokines expression under the physiological condition. It also covers the pathological studies regarding the mechanism of obesity-induced hypoadiponectinemia. Since the important role of adiponectin in controlling energy homeostasis, this study will play a role in preventing and treating diabetes.

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

This study will help us to identify the mechanism of reduced adiponectin gene expression in type 2 diabetes and obesity. The results of this project can lead to a new treatment to increase adiponectin in circulation or prevent the reduction of adiponectin. This new treatment should improve glucose or lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetic patients. Thus, the study might lead a new therapeutic approach.

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

I was endocrinologist. My clinical experience told me that diabetes is a severer health issue world wide. Since the leaking of an efficient prevention and treatment of diabetes and rapid increase of diabetic population, it is very important or urgent to study causes this disease. I was trained as an Endocrinologist and scientist in biomedical research. Therefore, it is important for me to join diabetes research. This award will play a very significant role in my research efforts. It secures times for me to study diabetes, but also provides funding for carrying out this project.

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

In the future, I will study how we can prevent the reduction of adiponectin gene expression in obesity. I will also study how we can increase adiponectin expression based on the results from current project.