2003 IRISH SCIENTIST YEAR BOOK

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University of Ulster
Neville H. McClenaghan & Peter R. Flatt
Targeting diabetes

Scheme showing how gut peptide, gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), directly links overnutrition to obesity, hyperinsulinaemia, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus is a disease of major socio-economic impact affecting approximately 200 million people world-wide. Currently the main strategies to control the high blood glucose levels (hyperglycaemia) characteristic of diabetes involve regular insulin injections or the use of drugs to enhance insulin action or to stimulate insulin release from pancreatic beta cells. Diabetes has already been coined the epidemic of the 21st Century and, with numbers of persons with diabetes set to double within the next twenty years, diabetes constitutes a major global health challenge. These recent statistics prompt concerted research effort to uncover the processes resulting in diabetes, and generate new approaches to treat, cure and even prevent both diabetes and serious debilitating secondary complications.

The Diabetes Research Group in the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Ulster, Coleraine, comprises 4 Academic Staff, 6 Research Officers and 23 Research Students. The Group has a prolific research profile focussing on five key areas:

  • �Bioengineering insulin secreting cells for the future gene therapy of diabetes.

  • �Elucidating the complex mechanisms regulating pancreatic beta cell function.

  • �Glycation and other structural modification of biologically active peptides in the pathogenesis and potential treatment of obesity and diabetes.

  • �Discovery, targets and action of pharmacological and natural antidiabetic agents.

  • �Involvement of nutrient- and drug-induced toxicity in pancreatic islet-cell dysfunction, demise and destruction.

This high-impact research contributed to the award of the highest grade of 5* in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise, emphasising the international standing of the work performed. Since 1996 the Group has also generated over 100 full scientific papers and more than 150 published scientific communications from national and international conferences.

The novel and innovative research activities of the Diabetes Research Group are strengthened through an extensive network of international collaborations, achieved through the foundation and co-ordination of the Islet Study Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, the Islet Research European Network, and the Islet Research Latin American Network.

Further details on current activities and opportunities of working with the Diabetes Research Group are available at: http://www.ulst.ac.uk/faculty/science/diabetes/update/index.html

Contact: Professor Peter R. Flatt; E-mail: [email protected]