Effect of BMP-9 protein in the insulin signaling in hepatic cells
| Grant number: | 14/25370-8 |
| Support type: | Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor |
| Effective date (Start): | March 01, 2015 |
| Effective date (End): | February 29, 2016 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Physiology |
| Principal Investigator: | Everardo Magalhães Carneiro |
| Grantee: | Thiago Martins Batista |
| Supervisor abroad: | C. Ronald Kahn |
| Home Institution: | Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil |
| Local de pesquisa : | Harvard University, Boston, United States |
Abstract Insulin resistance links obesity, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2D) and metabolic syndrome. Both environmental factors (e.g. overnutrition and low physical activity) and genetic inheritance are key determinants of insulin resistance. Studies in fibroblasts and lymphoblasts from patients with rare genetically determined forms of insulin resistance provided valuable information regarding insulin action in health and disease. However, the specific cellular phenotype in metabolically relevant tissues from insulin resistant subjects remains largely unknown. The reprogramming of differentiated cells into induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) and their conversion into all three germ layer-derived tissues created a new and promising platform for the study of complex human diseases, such as T2D. Recently, the Kahn Lab (Host Laboratory) described the conversion of skin fibroblasts into iPSCs from individuals with mutation in the insulin receptor gene (IR-Mut). Insulin signaling, cell growth and proliferation were largely impaired in IR-Mut iPSCs. Moreover, global gene profiling revealed different expression patterns in response to the IR-Mut genotype between fibroblasts and iPSCs, suggesting that genotypic alterations may lead to different phenotypes according to the cellular context. Therefore, this proposal is aimed at extending these findings by converting the IR-Mut iPSCs into liver cells for study of insulin signaling, cell growth, proliferation, gene profiling and regulation of glucose output. Thus, the study of iPSC-derived hepatocytes shall give important insights into the outcomes of insulin resistance upon liver function. (AU) | |