Life Sciences & Biotechnology
Title : | Adeno Associated Virus-Mediated Gene Therapy of Human Fibroblast Growth Factor-21 in Type-2 Diabetes |
Area of research : | Life Sciences & Biotechnology |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Ramkumar R, Indian Institute Of Technology Kanpur (IITK), Uttar Pradesh |
Timeline Start Year : | 2022 |
Timeline End Year : | 2024 |
Contact info : | raam8687@gmail.com |
Details
Executive Summary : | The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reports that over 90% of patients worldwide suffer from Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) in 2021, with 541 million estimated to have impaired glucose tolerance. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) has been shown to improve long-term glycemic control and prevent diabetes problems. AAV vectors infect proliferating and quiescent cells, resulting in minimal immune responses, making them ideal candidates for gene therapy for DM. Resistance to insulin in tissues like muscle liver and adipocytes is a common indication of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. FGF-21, a metabolic regulator, controls energy homeostasis and is produced in hepatic cells and released into the circulation. Studies show that gene transfer of FGF21 with AAV in peripheral tissues can provoke the synthesis of FGF21-related proteins, which has been established as a gene therapy method for obesity and T2D treatment. The proposed research will analyze AAV serotypes with liver-tropism that express the hFGF21 transgene in vivo and test various metabolic, cell signaling, and immune factors. The hypothesis is that mutant AAV8 serotype mediated overexpression of codon-optimized human FGF21 will improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in the T2DM model. In vitro and in vivo experiments will be conducted on HFD-fed obese mice and standard diet-fed control animals. Understanding the regulation of multiple hepatic metabolic pathways will prove the possibility of deploying an AAV system to deliver liver-targeted gene therapy to deliver hFGF21 into the T2DM mice model (NntC57BL/6J). |
Organizations involved