Lab Affiliation: Marcus Seldin and John Lowengrub Lab
Title: Investigating Type II Diabetes with an ODE Model of Beta-cell Control and Glucose Homeostasis
Abstract: Pancreatic insulin-producing beta-cells can dynamically react to changes in insulin resistance and diet. In non-diabetic subjects, beta-cells adaptively increase to compensate for insulin resistance, but in Type II Diabetes, insulin resistance causes a gradual loss of beta-cell function and mass. We are using math modeling to understand the feedback regulation on beta-cells that can produce both phenomena. To identify regulation in the ‘true’ biological system, we test many possible models and evaluate their 1) response to insulin resistance and diet, and 2) growth control.