Developing novel insulin sensitising agents using 3D cultured adipocytes

Type 2 diabetes is a significant and growing worldwide health problem. Individuals with type 2 diabetes do not respond normally to a hormone called insulin. The main function of insulin is to control the amount of sugar in our blood. As a result, individuals with type 2 diabetes have increased blood sugar. This high level of sugar leads to a number of health issues, including heart and kidney disease, nerve damage and blindness. There are several drugs that can be used to treat type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, while these treatments are effective at lowering blood sugar, they do not restore normal function of the insulin hormone. Therefore, the current treatments do not address the actual cause of the condition and there is a need for new approaches. This project aims to use innovative new research tools to find drugs that restore normal insulin function. We will do this by growing fat cells, one of important tissues where insulin acts, in the lab and testing potential drugs. Normally when cells are grown in the lab, they are grown attached to plastic dishes. In order to make the cells we are using more similar to those found in fat tissue, we will grow these cells in 3D structures, allowing for more natural cellular interactions. We will test different potential drugs on these cells grown in 3D to identify ‘hit’ drugs that improve insulin function. Characterising and understanding how these ‘hit’ drugs work will help us develop better treatments for type 2 diabetes.