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Please note that as this project is not funded by a University studentship, the successful candidate will be required to source external funding for the research degree fees and living expenses while studying at the university.
Project Reference number
Institute/Research groups
Research Discipline areas
Research Theme
 2014SHLS019
Institute for Applied Health Research
Managing and Living with Long-Term Conditions

‘ Diabetes and Biomedical Science’

Diabetes, pancreatic islet biology, insulin secretion, cellular signalling, translational research

Cell and molecular biology, pharmacology, protein biochemistry, biomolecular imaging

Type 2 diabetes
Project Title
Research Project Area
Targeting pancreatic beta cell specific G protein-coupled receptors
(GPCR) to enhance insulin secretion and beta cell mass
Supervisory Team
In pancreatic islets, insulin secretion and cellular function are regulated by a variety of nutrients and various ligands acting via G protein-coupled receptors and diverse intracellular signaling pathways. The gut hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) which binds to the GLP-1 receptor, exerts protective effects on pancreatic beta cells and enhance insulin secretion.
Stable analogues of GLP-1 are currently approved for treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Fatty acids, cholecystokinin, gastrin, oestrogen can all act via
GPCR to enhance nutrient stimulated insulin secretion and beta cell function. Levels of these agonists and responses of islet cells are often altered in obesity and diabetes. Furthermore, as diabetes advances there is progressive impairment of islet beta cell function and decline in functional beta cell mass. Using clonal insulin secreting cell lines and pancreatic islets, this project aims to develop mechanisms by which targeting GPCRs on pancreatic beta cells might be used to enhance beta cell function and increase beta cell mass, and enable development of novel cellular and organ specific treatments for diabetes. This research will provide a basis for development of translational treatment strategies to not only enhance nutrient homeostasis in patients with diabetes, but also reduce the associated co-morbidities of the disease and the socioeconomic burden of diabetes.

Dr Steven Patteron (Director of Studies) DRG/Bio, IAHR; Department of
Life Sciences, School of Health and Life Sciences http://www.gcu.ac.uk/hls/staff/drstevenpatterson/

Dr Patricia Martin (Director of Studies) DRG/BIO, IAHR; Department of
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Staff Contact
Life Sciences, School of Health and Life Sciences http://www.gcu.ac.uk/hls/staff/drpatriciamartin/

Dr Sharron Dolan DRG/BIO, IAHR; Department of Life Sciences, School of Health and Life Sciences http://www.gcu.ac.uk/hls/staff/drsharrondolan/
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

Dr Steven Patterson
Steven.patterson@gcu.ac.uk
0141-331-3156
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