Diabetes and Obesity

+ Info

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Carlos Guillén Viejo

Tel. +34 913941777
ADDRESS

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II

Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid
Pl. de Ramón y Cajal, s/n, 28040 Madrid

Group information

The laboratory was founded in 1983 as the Developmental Molecular Biology Laboratory, later expanding to the study of cellular models.

Over the past thirty years, it has given rise to several different laboratories, currently led by researchers trained in the original lab. Currently, the laboratory focuses on studying disease through various in vitro and in vivo models to gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the progression of type 2 diabetes. Additionally, we are interested in identifying proteins that could be used as potential treatment targets by using agents that modulate the sirtuin, AMPK, and mTOR pathways.

Strategic objectives

Role of compensatory mechanisms of insulin resistance in relation to vascular injury.
Role of a hepato-pancreatic endocrine axis in the development of pancreatic beta-cell hyperplasia in response to insulin resistance in the liver.
Role of the thermogenic function of brown adipose tissue in relation to the control of energy balance.
Mechanisms of insulin resistance in cardiovascular cells mediated by pro-inflammatory and macrovascular injury signals

Lines of research

Molecular mechanisms in the progression of type II diabetes

To study the role of the TSC2/mTORC1 complex, autophagy and reticulum stress in the control of pancreatic beta-cell expansion and failure using in vitro and in vivo models.
Determine the role of human amylin in the progression to type 2 diabetes using in vitro and in vivo models, as well as the connection between type 2 diabetes and neurodegeneration.
To analyse the elimination of protein aggregates and/or altered organelles by using plant extracts through the potentiation of autophagy.
To study the role of different modulators of signalling pathways involved in ageing (SIRT1, AMPK, mTOR) and progression to diabetes.

Thermogenic function and inflammatory adipose organ disease

New murine models of brown adipose tissue thermogenic dysfunction: tissue-specific BATIGFIRKO and BATIGFIRDKO.
Role of mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy in the control of adaptive thermogenesis: New murine models of brown adipose-specific BAT Opa-1 and BAT MFN-1 KOs.