Projects
Research in the Islet Regeneration Lab focuses on understanding how gene-environment interaction affects the regulation of pancreatic beta cell function, survival and regeneration. Dr. Matveyenko's team also is discovering how circadian clock genes and the circadian system regulate beta cell function and regeneration.
Circadian disruption in obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes
Conditions associated with circadian disruption, such as shift work and sleep loss, are increasingly common and increase the susceptibility for the development of obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Mechanisms responsible for these associations remain unknown.
The work in Dr. Matveyenko's Islet Regeneration Lab focuses on elucidating physiological and molecular links driving the association between circadian disruption and loss of glycemic control, with particular focus on the regulation of beta cell function and survival.
Circadian clock genes in the regulation of beta cell function, survival, regeneration and maturation
Intracellular circadian clocks (clock genes) are a highly conserved set of core genes that exert circadian control over numerous essential cellular functions, such as metabolism, proliferation, survival and mitochondrial function. Dr. Matveyenko's research group is exploring molecular mechanisms by which clock genes regulate cellular function, regeneration and maturation, with a focus on pancreatic β-cells. Therapeutic regulation of β-cell clock gene expression potentially presents a novel therapeutic approach to combat β-cell pathology in type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes-associated genetic loci in pathophysiology of beta cell failure
Recent genome-wide association studies have identified numerous genetic loci associated with the development of diabetes mellitus. However, the molecular underpinnings of the described associations remain largely unknown. In collaboration with Adrian Vella, M.D., Dr. Matveyenko's Islet Regeneration Lab is studying how genetic variations in the TCF7L2 and MTNR1B loci affect islet cell morphology, turnover and cellular physiology.