Grants 2012
This year, the Diabetes Foundations grants were sought by 79 researchers, which was nine more than the previous year.
The largest grant, a two-year total of 100 000 euros, was awarded to Professor Pirjo Nuutila from the University of Turku. Eight researchers each received roughly 25 000 euros as a one-year grant, while nine researchers received a personal grant. All in all, the Foundation awarded grants for a total of 375 000 euros.
The two-year grant, 50 000 euros/year
Nuutila Pirjo, Professor, the University of Turku
The significance of the brain, colon, pancreas, and fat tissue in the pathogenesis of obesity and type 2 diabetes researched through molecular imaging and systems biology
This clinical research aims to clarify through which mechanisms obesity and type 2 diabetes change metabolism, insulin sensitivity as well as fat oxidization and storage in various human tissues. Because bariatric surgery causes diabetes to either dissipate quickly or go into remission, and in addition causes notable weight-loss, it presents an excellent opportunity to study a type of intervention where type 2 diabetes is cured.
In addition to changes in classic insulin sensitive tissues, like muscles, the research also centers on the significance of colonic perfusion and metabolism on the pathogenesis of diabetes, the brains hypothalamic metabolism as well as changes in the pleasure system regarding food stimuli before and after the surgery. In addition to this, the research compares two bariatric surgery procedures applied in Finland, and provides new information whether or not dieting activates energy consuming brown adipose tissue.
The research will involve 65 significantly obese people that are either type 2 diabetics or non-diabetics and scheduled for bariatric surgery, as well as 26 people of normal weight. The research as a whole brings new information regarding the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and by which means it may be cured.
The grant for the research group headed by Pirjo Nuutila includes the following personal grants: Karlsson Henry, 16 000 euros, Tam Pham, 12 000 euros, Holstila Milja, 8 000 euros, Savolainen Anna, 9 600 euros, Mäkinen Jaakko, 12 000 euros and Koffert Jukka, 16 000 euros.
The one-year grants, roughly 25 000 euros
Derenji Ferreira de Mello Laaksonen Vanessa, PhD, the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 22 997 euros
Vitamin D supplementation and lifestyle intervention in the cardiometabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes: studies on immune-inflammatory response and insulin and glucose homeostasis
Cardiometabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are spreading worldwide. The Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study (DPS) has shown that type 2 diabetes can be prevented through lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes cure inflammatory reactions, cause weight loss as well as improved insulin and glucose metabolism.
This research aims to clarify whether or not people with a high risk of type 2 diabetes benefit from lifestyle changes, through which their hereditary tendencies to develop insulin resistance and disturbances in insulin secretion are decreased.
The research venture also studies the effects of vitamin D use on glucose and insulin metabolism, inflammations, mRNA gene expression in fat tissue and the mononuclear cells of peripheral blood among people exhibiting low levels of vitamin D and a high risk for T2D.
The research offers an excellent opportunity to clarify the effects of vitamin D treatment in vitamin D metabolism and changes in mRNA gene expression of key inflammatory enzymes. It is in addition possible to study their connection to insulin and glucose metabolism and systemic inflammatory response.
Hakkola Jukka, Professor, the University of Oulu, 25 000 euros
Molecular effect mechanisms of Metformin in the liver
Metformin is decades old, but still the primary oral diabetes medication. Metformin lowers blood sugar by primarily decreasing glucose production in the liver. In spite of the long history and wide-spread use of Metformin, little is still known about its intracellular effect mechanisms.
This research studies two central systems that regulate the energy metabolism of liver cells. The research is primarily carried out using the livers primary cell models and molecular biologic research procedures.
Clarifying the specific effect mechanisms of Metformin helps us understand the positive effects and effect mechanisms of the medication. This knowledge can be applied when prescribing the correct drugs to patients, and first and foremost in drug development toward new diabetes medication that is more specific than Metformin.
The research group headed by Professor Jukka Hakkola includes one personal grant: Buler Marcin, 12 000 euros.
Hovi Petteri, MD, the National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, 25 000 euros
Gestational diabetes as a child cognition impairer – the social significance
There is still little information regarding long-term follow up of children born to mothers with gestational diabetes pregnancy (diabetes during pregnancy). Some innate deformities are more common among these children than the population In general. They were also found to have weaker grades and a higher risk of quitting their mandatory education.
This research venture studies how children born to mothers with gestational diabetes move from adolescence to independent adulthood (education, military service, raising a family, employment, felonies). These questions are answered using registry information. The project produces new information regarding health-affecting factors among the younger population, and is directly beneficial for the various areas of society (health care, education, employment agencies, national defense).
Kinnunen Tuure, MD, MSc, the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 25 000 euros
Auto-reactive T cells and immune tolerance disorders in type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease where the defense mechanisms of the human body inadvertently destroy insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas.
Research has shown that especially disturbances in the functions of the so called CD4+ helper T cells are critical in the manifestation of type 1 diabetes.
The research aims to isolate and analyze auto-reactive CD4+ T cells and Treg cells in the peripheral blood of healthy people and people with type 1 diabetes. At a later stage the research will be expanded to include pre-diabetic people that exhibit a high risk of getting type 1 diabetes. The goal is to ensure that the events connected to the autoimmune process can be perceived even before the disease breaks out, and that they are not caused by changes in the body resulting from hyperglycemia.
This research venture aims to clarify the mechanisms connected to the start of the autoimmune process, and may in the future result in better diagnostic procedures and treatment development of type 1 diabetes.
Matikainen Niina, MD, the University of Helsinki, Biomedicum, 25 000 euros
Colon microbiome and incretin regulation disturbances, and their connection to postprandial lipemia and fattening of the liver among men with hypertriglyseridemia and a high risk for diabetes
Microbial and incretin changes in the colon are new regulators of glucose and lipid metabolism, and are centrally connected to the pathogenesis of diabetes. Diet, for example increased use of fructose, is the most important cause of diabetes and centrally affects the diabetes risk through the colon.
The goal of the research is to 1) clarify the significance of microbes and incretins as a regulator of post-meal triglyceride (TG) -rich lipoproteins, liver fat and insulin sensitivity as well as 2) study whether or not the diabetogenic and dyslipidemic effects of fructose can be explained through homeostatic changes in the colon. The research venture will involve abdominally obese men with a high risk of diabetes.
The research provides new information regarding the colons role in the pathogenesis of diabetes, and the diabetogenic effects of fructose (soft drinks).
Pihlajamäki Jussi, Acting Professor, the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 25 000 euros
The significance of Tau proteins and the SFRS10 gene in fat tissue
In this project the research group continues their study of the previously discovered connection between the SFRS molecule and diabetes (Cell Metab 2011). SFRS10 regulates the alternative expression of exon 10 in the microtubule associated tau gene (the MAPT gene, the tau protein) in nerve cells during Alzheimer’s disease.
Through preliminary analysis the research group has been able to show the SFRS10 gene and tau exon 10 correlating with each other, as well as with serum glucose and fatty acid levels, which points to regulatory functions also playing a role in fat tissue.
The venture studies the possibility that the appearance of MAPT exon 10 is evident in not only memory diseases, but also obesity and diabetes. This would aid the understanding of the epidemiological connection between these diseases, and also create new possibilities to develop forms of treatment that affect the basic causes.
Schwab Ursula, docent, the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 25 000 euros
The effects of N-3 fatty acids on glucose and lipid metabolism among people with decreased glucose tolerance
The goal of the research is to clarify whether or not n-3 fatty acids from animals, plants and fish differ from one another in how they affect glucose metabolism. Plasma and adipose tissue lipidomic profile, metabolomics of plasma and adipose tissue as well as gene expression of peripheral mononuclear cells are studied in order to find possible differences in the effect mechanisms of these nutrients in people that exhibit sugar metabolism disturbances.
The research subjects are randomly divided into four different groups: fatty fish, low-fat fish, alphalinoleic acid or a control group, for 12 weeks. The venture involves a total of 100 research subjects (25 in each group). The research diet consists of regular food.
The research result helps us better recognize and understand the effect mechanisms of n-3 fatty acids in animals, plants and fish. The research also aids in finding the optimal sources of n-3 fatty acids for people with decreased sugar metabolism.
Toivola Diana, docent, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, 25 000 euros
The role of keratin intermediate filaments for the function of pancreatic islets and type I diabetes
Keratins are components of epithelial cells that give the cells structural stability and protection from cell stress. Aside from these functions, keratins play an important part in many other cellular processes. Many of mans diseases are connected to keratin mutations. Nevertheless, nothing is known about keratin function in the endocrine pancreas or their role in diabetes.
According to preliminary results presented by the research group, a mouse with keratin deficiency spontaneously develops a low-level inflammation in the pancreatic islet cells and exhibits changes in glucose and insulin tolerance. These results point to a susceptibility to immune reactions and a possible keratin involvement in insulin secretion. However, keratin 8 knockout mice are relatively resistant to the beta cell toxin streptozotocin. Keratin manifestation has greatly increased in the type 1 diabetes mouse model (NOD-mice), which also points to keratin involvement in islet cell destruction and possibly the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes.
This research is focused on previously un-researched subject matter, and presents new crucial information regarding the role of keratins in the endocrine pancreas.
The grant for the research group headed by docent Diana Toivola includes the following personal grants: Alam Catharina 6 months, 14 400 euros and an appointed student 3 months, 4 800 euros.
The personal grants, roughly 5 000 – 10 000 euros
Hakonen Elina, med.lic., the University of Helsinki, Biomedicum, 10 000 euros
Role of EGF-receptor signaling in beta cell mass regulation
Havula (nee Lind) Essi, MSc, the University of Helsinki, 8 000 euros
The genetic regulation mechanisms of sugar metabolism
Helenius Katja, D.Sc., Harvard University & Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, USA, 7 000 euros
Metabolic alterations as effectors of transformation: linking diabetes and breast cancer
Kinnunen Kati, MD, the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, 9 600 euros
The significance of the NALP3 inflammasone in angiogenic diseases of the retina and choroidea
Miettinen Maija, MNR, the National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, 8 000 euros
Vitamin D and type 1 diabetes
Pirinen Eija, D.Sc., EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland, 9 600 euros
The role of the pCAF cofactor in the regulation of energy metabolism
Putaala Jukka, MD., the University of Helsinki, Folkhälsan research centre, HUS, 7 200 euros
Subclinical risk factors for cerebrovascular disease in patients with T1D: A longitudinal long-term follow-up study (Charting the risk factors of vascular brain diseases among type 1 diabetics)
Smura Teemu, M.Sc., the National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, 8 000 euros
The Role of Pancreatic Ductal Cells in Enterovirus Induced Type 1 Diabetes
Toivonen Raine, D.Sc., the University of Turku, 9 600 euros
Autoimmunity of pancreatic islets in development of type 1 diabetes and the role of nutritional factors