Universität zu Köln
Cluster of Excellence: Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases

Research Area D: Metabolic Pathways in Aging-associated Diseases

Metabolic pathways such as the insulin signaling cascade are critical for the regulation of lifespan, and their dysregulation is central to the development of aging-associated diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Obesity represents a steadily growing health burden affecting approximately 30% of people in western societies. Excessive fat mass and weight gain are directly associated with the onset of insulin resistance leading to the development of type 2 diabetes and diabetic complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy, and a range of skin conditions.
Thus, experiments in research area D aim to unravel novel metabolic pathways involved in the control of energy homeostasis and their dysregulation in the development of obesity. Other experiments within this research area aim to identify novel susceptibility genes causing predisposition to the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus, both in model organisms and human populations. A third focus is the characterization of novel pathomechanisms underlying the development of diabetic complications. Experimental approaches in this research area take advantage of the unique availability of a whole range of model systems to study metabolic pathways and their dysregulation at different levels of complexity to ultimately translate findings on novel candidate pathways directly into the clinical situation in the newly established Metabolic Research Center Cologne (MRCC).

Coordinator:

Prof. Dr. Jens Brüning,
Institut für Genetik
 
email: jens.bruening(at)uni-koeln(dot)de