Problem

There is an important lack of diagnostic tools for diabetes, as well as treatments that can efficiently control high blood glucose levels. The molecular techniques that can deeply and accurately analyze all the different types of molecules (lipids, proteins, metabolites and expressed genes) circulating in our blood are continuously improving. 

 

Solution

Identifying molecules that could greatly improve the diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes or insulin deficiency. Currently, research laboratories can analyze thousands of different molecules from small blood samples and constantly undergo efforts to bring this technology to the clinic. Using these powerful new blood analytical techniques, and cutting-edge mouse experimental designs that model the progressive loss of the insulin-secreting cells more precisely, we aim at performing a comprehensive analysis of the molecular composition of the blood as insulin levels drastically decrease. This will identify dozens of molecules that could greatly improve the diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes or insulin deficiency, as well uncover the responses our bodies mount to help cope with the metabolic challenges ofdiabetes. This knowledge will help identify new endogenous mechanisms of blood glucose regulation with potentially vast therapeutic applications.

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Who

This project will be conducted in the laboratory directed by Prof. Pedro L. Herrera at the Department of Genetic Medicine and Development of the Faculté de médecine, the Diabetes Centre and the iGE3 of the University of Geneva. The team is made of Prof. Herrera who will ensure the successful development of the project and his team members:

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Dr. Daniel Oropeza Herrero Maître-Assistant,

Dr. Eva Brú Tarí Maître-Assistante,

Dr. Marta Pérez Francés Maître-Assistante,

Dr. Fabrizio Thorel collaborateur scientifique II, privat-docent,

Mr. Cédric Renaud MD-PhD student,

Mrs. Valeriia Vartanova PhD student,

Mrs. Gissela Gallardo laboratory technician, Mrs. Carine Gysler laboratory technician,

Mrs. Berivan Polat laboratory technician.

For more information, please see the team here:

https://www.unige.ch/medecine/diabetescentre/membres/pedro-herrera

(Principal Investigator: Prof. Pedro L. Herrera, GEDEV, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland)