TheSugarScience Podcast- curating the scientific conversation in type 1 diabetes

Episode 54: Josh Nicholson, PhD, Co-Founder and CEO at Scite

In this episode, Josh Nicholson joins us to discuss how to use Scite. Scite is a deep learning platform that evaluates the reliability of scientific claims by citation analysis. Scite is a very valuable tool for all researchers. 

Smart citations for better research.

Checkout scite here!

Episode 53: Bart Roep, PhD, Chan Soon-Shiong Shapiro Distinguished Chair in Diabetes, Director, The Wanek Family Project for Type 1 Diabetes

In this episode, Bart Roep joins us to discuss the latest progress at City of Hope in the quest to cure type 1 diabetes. Early 2020 marked a milestone for science funded by The Wanek Family Project. Results had come in from a first-in-humans clinical trial testing a “reverse vaccine” for type 1 diabetes developed by Roep and his colleagues. The research showed the treatment to be safe and even indicated possible benefit as a therapy.

Episode 52: Scott Soleimanpour, MD, Associate Professor, Director of the Michigan Medicine Diabetes Transition Program, University of Michigan

In this episode, Scott Soleimanpour joins us to discuss his fascinating research taking place at the University of Michigan. Dr. Soleimanpour provides details about a recent publication, Mitophagy protects β cells from inflammatory damage in diabetes. 

Dr. Soleimanpour's lab focuses on the molecular and genetic regulation of the mitochondrial life cycle, with a focus on mitophagy, a pathway to dispose of unhealthy or damaged mitochondria. Our studies also concentrate on novel genetic targets affecting the mitophagy pathway, which are also associated with diabetes in humans, through studies in cellular and mouse genetic model systems, as well as isolated human islets. 

To learn more about Soleimanpour's lab follow the link below:

Soleimanpour Lab

Episode 51: Darleen Sandoval, PhD, Professor at the University of Colorado

In this episode, Darleen Sandoval joins us to discuss her research and recent publication, Updating the Role of α-Cell Preproglucagon Products on GLP-1 Receptor–Mediated Insulin Secretion.

Dr. Sandoval's current work utilizes basic research strategies to focus on two general themes of research. The first goal is to gain understanding on the role of a gastrointestinal peptide, GLP-1, in the gut-brain axis to regulate energy and glucose homeostasis. The second is to gain understanding on the adaptations of the gut-brain axis with bariatric surgery and how this leads to the profound weight-loss and improvements in glucose and lipid homeostasis seen with these surgeries.

Episode 50: Ed Boyden, PhD, Y. Eva Tan Professor in Neurotechnology at MIT Howard Hughes Medical Institute

In this episode, Ed Boyden joins us to discuss his research at MIT and how an imaging technology developed by Boyden and his colleagues is applicable to type 1 diabetes researchers. Dr. Boyden leads the Synthetic Neurobiology Group, which develops tools for analyzing and repairing complex biological systems such as the brain, and applies them systematically to reveal ground truth principles of biological function as well as to repair these systems. He co-directs the MIT Center for Neurobiological Engineering, which aims to develop new tools to accelerate neuroscience progress, and is a faculty member of the MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Computational & Systems Biology Initiative, and Koch Institute.

To learn more about Dr. Boyden's research follow the link below:

Synthetic Neurobiology Group

Episode 49: Dame Frances Ashcroft, PhD, Royal Society GlaxoSmithKline Research Professor at the University Laboratory of Physiology, Oxford

In this episode, Dame Frances Ashcroft joins us to discuss her research and recent publication titled, Diabetes causes marked inhibition of mitochondrial metabolism in pancreatic β-cells. 

Dr. Frances Ashcroft's research focuses on ATP-sensitive potassium (K_ATP) channels and their role in insulin secretion, in both health and disease. To learn more about her research visit her website below.

Ashcroft Group

Photographer: Robert Taylor

Episode 48: Teresa Rodriguez-Calvo, DVM, PhD, Junior Group Leader in the Type 1 Diabetes Pathology Research Unit, Institute of Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München

In this episode, Teresa Rodriguez-Calvo joins us to discuss her type 1 diabetes research at the International Helmholtz Research School for Diabetes. Dr Rodriguez-Calvo is interested in the crosstalk between the immune system and the cells that produce insulin, called beta cells. We are working on identifying the cells that recognize different beta cell antigens and their exact localization in the pancreas, spleen, lymph nodes and duodenum, in order to better understand the pathogenesis of the disease. We are also trying to elucidate whether viral infections make the islets more accessible for these destructive T cells or vice versa.

To read some of her recent publications follow the link below:

Dr. Rodriguez-Calvo's Publications

Episode 47: Susan Wong, PhD, Professor of Experimental Diabetes and Metabolism, Division of Infection and Immunity, Systems Immunity URI, Cardiff University, UK

In this episode, Susan Wong joins us to discuss her years of research experience working on the aetiology and pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. Dr. Wong also discusses one of her recent publications, Slow progressors to type 1 diabetes lose islet autoantibodies over time, have few islet antigen-specific CD8+ T cells and exhibit a distinct CD95hi B cell phenotype.

Follow the link below to read more about Dr. Wong's work:

Dr. Wong's publications

 

Episode 46: Francisco Leon, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer & Co-Founder of Provention Bio

In this episode, Francisco Leon joins us to discuss how he became scientifically interested in type 1 diabetes and what led him to where he is today. Dr. Leon is the CSO and Co-Founder of Provention Bio. Provention Bio's mission is to change the world by unleashing the full potential of lives otherwise burdened of cut short by autoimmune disease. 

Provention Bio has an exciting pipeline of investigational candidates that aim to intercept type 1 diabetes by delaying or even preventing progression to clinical onset of insulin dependent T1D.

Episode 45: Yong Zhao, MD, PhD, President of Tianhe Stem Cell Biotechnologies Inc

In this episode, Yong Zhao joins us to discuss Tianhe Stem Cell Biotechnologies Inc. and the progress of clinical trials using the stem cell educator. Tianhe’s notable Stem Cell Educator Therapy was invented by Dr. Yong Zhao to effectively reverse the root causes of autoimmune diseases. Over the last 10 years, international multi-center clinical studies in the United States, China, and Spain have demonstrated the clinical safety and efficacy of Stem Cell Educator Therapy as it has been recognized by the Juvenile Diabetes Cure Alliance as one of the top 10 “Practical Cure Projects” for type 1 diabetes (State of the Cure, 2018) 

Tianhe Stem Cell Biotechnologies