On Thursday, June 2, Ohio
University’s Appalachian Rural Health Institute
(ARHI) Diabetes/Endocrine Center and
Edison Biotechnology Institute (EBI) hold a one-day
symposium, “Diabetes, Growth hormone, and the Metabolic
Syndrome.” The mini-symposium begins
at 11:30 a.m. in Grosvenor West 111, located on the Athens
campus of Ohio University.
EBI and the ARHI
Diabetes/Endocrine Center invite scientists, researchers and
health-care professionals at the university and in the community
to attend this symposium, said Leonard Kohn, M.D., OU-COM
professor of biomedical sciences and EBI principal investigator.
The mini-symposium will provide
a forum for the presentation and discussion of some of the
latest research and thinking on the causes and potential cures
for diabetes, obesity and the
Metabolic Syndrome. The prevalence of diabetes and obesity in
Appalachian Ohio are higher than the national averages.
“Research on the cause and cure of diabetes, obesity and the
Metabolic Syndrome is a major focus of scientists and physicians
at OU-COM and Edison Biotechnology Institute,” said Kohn.
“The goal of our programs is to
bring research successes to everyday medicine as rapidly as
possible in order to improve patient care in our community and
elsewhere.”
The symposium will feature
three distinguished researchers from Japan and Denmark, Takashi
Akamizu, M.D., Ph.D., associate
professor
in the Department of
Experimental Therapeutics,
Translational Research Center,
Kyoto University
Hospital-Kyoto
University Graduate School of Medicine; Shoichiro Ikuyama, M.D.,
Ph.D., associate professor of medicine, Kyushu University,
Beppu, Japan; and Jens Otto Lunde Jergensen, M.D., professor of
medicine, University of Ċarhus, Kommune Hospital, Ċarhus,
Denmark.
“We are fortunate to have these
three eminent researchers present their work for the benefit of
the university and local health-care professionals,” said Kohn.
“Dr. Akamizu will discuss
translational research on Ghrelin, a 28-amino acid acylated
peptide, which displays strong growth hormone releasing activity
in concert with growth hormone
releasing hormone; it is a major player in appetite
control in obesity. Work on the role of growth hormone in Type 2
diabetes and its link to obesity is a major research area of
scientists at EBI, the college and the center.
“Dr. Ikuyama will discuss work
on adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP), which is a
lipid droplet-associated protein that is expressed early during
adipose differentiation and is important in fat accumulation.
Obesity, an excessive accumulation of adipose tissue, is
associated with the development of serious medical conditions,
including Type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary artery
disease and hyperlipidemia via an insulin resistance
state. Like PPAR
drugs, alone or in cooperation with each other, ADRP
is important in inducing the transcription of many
adipocyte-specific genes encoding proteins and
enzymes involved in creating and maintaining the
adipose phenotype, such as lipogenesis, lipolysis, glucose
metabolism and endocrine functions. It is critical to the
development and expression of visceral fat, now known to be a
site of inflammatory proteins important in the Metabolic
Syndrome.
“Dr. Jergensen’s presentation
will put things into the context of clinical care with his
concluding talk on growth hormone, insulin resistance and
metabolism. He is an expert on clinical use of growth hormone
agonists and antagonists, their relationship to fatty acid
levels in the Metabolic Syndrome and their link to insulin
resistance and obesity. He also is an expert on bariatric
surgery for obesity and its relevance to patients with Type 2
diabetes, which prevalent in this region.”
Akamizu’s presentation,
“Translational Research of Ghrelin,” will begin at 11:30 a.m.
Ikuyama’s presentation, “There existed ‘depository genes’ first.
— Regulatory mechanism of adipose differentiation-related
protein (ADRP) expression,” begins at 2:15 p.m. Jergensen’s,
“Growth Hormone, Insulin Resistance, and Metabolism: Is insulin
a Resistance a ‘Bad Thing?’” is the final presentation of the
day and starts at 3:15 p.m. A luncheon, sponsored by Interthyr
Corp., will be held on the Ridges at EBI and starts at 1:15 p.m.
The ARHI
Diabetes/Endocrine Center was founded by OU-COM and the College
of Health and Human Services to further diabetes research,
clinical training and care, and education. In addition to
featuring national experts in the field of diabetes and related
research, the center holds regular seminars to provide a forum
for Ohio University researchers to learn about each other’s work
and, hopefully, facilitate opportunities for more
interdisciplinary and interdepartmental research collaborations.
EBI, an
interdisciplinary research institute of Ohio University, has a
two-fold purpose: basic discovery research and development of
new technology and the transfer of technology to the private
sector for the economic benefit of Ohio. Encompassed in these
are understanding the molecular/genetic basis of diseases that
disproportionately affect the people of Appalachian Ohio and
also are major worldwide challenges. EBI investigators pursue
internationally recognized research programs, which include
growth disorders; diabetes, obesity and related cardiovascular
complications; aging; infectious diseases; and cancer. Its
overarching goal is the development of diagnostics and
therapeutics for health care based on our growing understanding
of these diseases.
- 30 -
News for
the week of May 30 – June 4
