Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease characterised by increased levels of blood glucose due to insulin abnormalities.
In a healthy situation, after food is eaten, glucose level goes up which signals the pancreas to release insulin. This hormone facilitates entry of glucose into cells to use as energy or storage.

Millions of people are affected by diabetes worldwide (60 million in Europe) and is one of the top 10 causes of death globally.

Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease whose causes are not fully known. It occurs when the body attacks the cells in the pancreas, and they do not produce any insulin. Around 10% of people who have diabetes have this type. On the other hand, in type II diabetes the body does not produce a sufficient amount of insulin, or the insulin produced does not work properly.

The aim of this Collection is to gather research aiming to identify the molecular mechanisms causing diabetes, its more innovative treatments, and its effects on patients’ prognosis and lifestyle.

The scientific approach is purposely broad, among others it includes experimental and clinical medicine, synthetic biology, proteomics, bioinformatics, tissue engineering, machine learning, etc.

Potential topics include:

• Beta-cell pathophysiology
• Regulatory genomics of embryonic and adult pancreas
• Stem cell-derived implants and transplantation
• Comorbidities associated to diabetes: cardiovascular disease, obesity, weakened bone health, renal complications.
• Clinical trials