Calcium and the physiology of diabetes

Narrative Diabetes is a major health concern in the United States and worldwide, however the molecular mechanisms underlying glucose metabolism and insulin release are incompletely understood. This research seeks to determine for the first time the mechanistic role of calcium (Ca2+) leakage through ryanodine receptor (RyR), a Ca2+ release channel located on the endoplasmic reticulum, in the development of pancreatic beta cell dysfunction and diabetes. We will also test a pharmacological inhibition of RyR leak in human pancreatic beta cells, providing potentially significant implications in the clinical scenario.