Projects

Project Description

T2D is a global epidemic posing immense public health challenges across the world, but particularly in the growing populations of the Indian sub-continent. In India alone the number of people with this disease is over 65 million and the annual cost of this disease is now enormous. It is thus already a major health and health-care issue and one which is continuing to grow with the changing demography towards that of an older population. Typically, development of T2D is associated with obesity but among Indians, a different phenotype is being observed where they are developing T2D with even a normal BMI or slightly higher BMI, termed metabolically obese. In this population, there appears to be fat accumulation in areas not typically associated with adipose deposition such as skeletal muscle. Muscle plays a vital role in metabolic health. It is the biggest store and user of glucose in the body thus lipid accumulation within skeletal muscle can be detrimental for blood glucose management. This study will uncover the mechanisms by which fat is accumulated within this tissue and how fat accumulation affects muscle mitochondrial structure and function. Thus, the overarching aim of the work outlined in this application is to provide new mechanistic insight into factors underlying the clinical presentations by Indians with T2D and to compare the deviation from healthy state.