Newswise — DETROIT — A grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will aid Wayne State University researchers in finding new insights into diabetes and its onset.
Anjan Kowluru, Ph.D., distinguished professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and senior research career scientist at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit, is leading the four-year, $710,000 study, "Aberrant Nuclear Signaling in the Islet Beta Cell Under Metabolic Stress.”
“We have known for some time that chronic exposure of insulin-producing islet beta cells to metabolic stress [e.g., high glucose and lipids] results in cellular defects and the onset of diabetes,” said Kowluru. “Through this funding, we hope to precisely identify the mechanisms that might be responsible for disrupting the transport of key cargo proteins in and out of cell nucleus thus resulting in defects and the demise of the beta cell.”
According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), nearly 540 million people worldwide were afflicted with diabetes in 2021, as compared to 382 million in 2019 and 317 million in 2012. Furthermore, more than 540 million people were estimated to be glucose intolerant in 2021.
“We are now studying what is taking place in the beta cells and seeing what the long-term exposure of these cells to metabolic stress does,” Kowluru said. “Under the duress of metabolic stress, the transport of signaling proteins becomes impaired. Once these defects take place, the beta cells begin acting abnormally. We are hoping to identify the mechanisms that underlie the onset of those defects”
Kowluru says the possible impact of the research could be groundbreaking in identifying and treating diabetes.
“In the immediate future, we hope to identify novel therapeutic targets and test new small molecule inhibitors to prevent the establishment of these cellular defects and the onset of diabetes,” said Kowluru.
Kowluru has a long-standing partnership with the VA that has been instrumental in his important research, and he has received funding through the VA since 1992.
“Research funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs is critical as it empowers groundbreaking studies that directly impact the health and well-being of our veterans,” said Ezemenari M. Obasi, Ph.D., vice president for research & innovation at Wayne State University. “Dr. Kowluru’s important research will help provide innovative solutions to help ensure veterans receive the care and support they deserve for a healthier future.”
This award number for this grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs is 1I01BX006377-01A1.
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