Lipids: Dysregulated signalling molecules in the type 2 diabetic heart?
Heart and circulatory disease is the leading cause of death in people with type 2 diabetes. In type 2 diabetes the heart is less able to pump blood around the body, and this has been linked to changes in how the heart makes its own energy from fats in the blood. Fats also have other roles, such as sending chemical signals in the heart. In diabetes, having more fat within the heart may disrupt the balance of signals needed to stay healthy. Dr Heather wants to understand how fats act as signals in the heart. She will investigate their effects on three important processes : how the heart makes energy, how it breaks down other fats and how it copes with stress. Dr Heather thinks that these fats stop the heart from working normally and by understanding why this happens in greater detail, we may find ways of preventing this abnormal activity. In this research Dr Heather will also test drugs that reverse the effects of fat signals to see if they allow the heart to pump more effectively. This may take the first step towards a new therapy to prevent heart and circulatory disease in people with type 2 diabetes.
Project details
| Grant amount | £681,831 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Fellowships |
| Application type | Intermediate Basic Science Research Fellowship |
| Start Date | 08 January 2018 |
| Duration | 5 years, 8 months |
| Reference | FS/17/58/33072 |
| Status | In Progress |
