Life Sciences Commons^™

Cebp/Α Increases Functional Β-Cell Mass, Jason Ray, Jeffery Tessem

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are major global health concerns. Diabetes is characterized by impaired management of glucose in the bloodstream, which is due to decreased pancreatic functional β-cell mass. Functional β-cell mass is determined from the insulin secretion rate and the number of β-cells, which is determined from cellular proliferation and death rates. Increasing functional β-cell mass could cure diabetes either by enhancing pancreatic islets prior to transplantation, or by strengthening endogenous cells. Although β-cells stop proliferating around adolescence, β-cell proliferation resumes during conditions such as pregnancy and obesity (1), demonstrating that the molecular pathways necessary for replication …

The Efficacy Of Tgfβ Inhibition Via Sgi-1252 In The Prevention And Reversal Of Diet-Induced Obesity And Diabetes, Blake Dallon, Benjamin Bikman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The growing worldwide incidence of obesity and its associated pathologies, like type 2 diabetes, has received much deserved attention. However, despite this attention and substantial research efforts, little meaningful progress has been made in slowing or reversing the growing cost and trends of obesity worldwide.

As of 2008, almost 10% of medical costs in the United States were incurred due to obesity or other obesity-related diseases¹, with a substantial amount of this cost stemming from the dramatically increased risk of diabetes with excess fat mass². According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more …