The role of inositol hexakisphosphate Kinase-1 in insulin resistance

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  The role of a novel insulin signalling pathway (IP6-IP6K1-IP7) in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

• IRAS ID

  99606

• Contact name

  Richard Mackenzie

• Contact email

  Richard.Mackenzie@Roehampton.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Roehampton

• Duration of Study in the UK

  3 years, 0 months, 0 days

• Research summary

  Insulin resistance is a major consequence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) with increased blood glucose concentrations the resulting symptom. It is this elevated blood glucose that directly causes the severe complications associated with this condition. Recent animal experiments suggest that a novel enzyme (IP6K1) may play a major role in the development of T2Ds. If this enzyme is found to be involved in insulin resistance, then we maybe able to target it to reduce hyperglycaemia (or lower blood glucose) and improve health outcomes in T2Ds. Exercise is a corner stone intervention in the treatment of T2Ds due to its ability to lower blood glucose. Yet we still do not understand how exercise improves insulin resistance. We therefore wish to establish if IP6K1 plays a role in the development of T2D in humans before assessing the effectiveness of a range of exercise interventions in improving glucose control in healthy, glucose intolerant and T2Ds individuals. The aims of the proposed research are to provide a better understanding of insulin resistance and improve the therapeutic strategy in the treatment of T2Ds. More specifically, our aims are 4-fold;
  1. Measure the concentration of enzyme IP6K1 in muscle and fat tissue in a range of individuals with different metabolic characteristics (i.e. non-diabetics, pre-diabetics and type 2 diabetics).
  2. Use a measure of insulin resistance and diabetes to establish whether IP6K1 and its associated proteins are important to the development of this disease.
  3. Measure IP6K1 blood concentrations and correlate these to measures of insulin resistance.
  4. Determine if exercise can decrease levels of muscle and blood IP6K1 & improve insulin resistance

• REC name

  London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  16/LO/0246

• Date of REC Opinion

  13 Jul 2016

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion