Thu. Mar 21, 2019 14-16h
Wed. May 08, 2019 16-19h
Wed. May 15, 2019 14-15h
Tue. Sep 03, 2019 14-16h
Sat. Sep 07, 2019 10-16h
Wed. Nov 27, 2019 16-19h
Our group investigates the pathomechanisms in pancreatic beta cells and endothelial cells in type 2 diabetes mellitus. The underlying hypothesis is that blood vascular changes support the development of type 2 diabetes. This hypothesis is consistent with the finding that many type 2 diabetes associated genes have a cardiovascular function. Moreover, mice with vascular defects in pancreatic islets are glucose intolerant and lack first phase insulin secretion. Therefore, the phenotype of these mice resembles the phenotype of early type 2 diabetic patients. To analyze blood vessels and vascular changes systematically, an imaging platform has been developed to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze blood vessels in tissues in vivo and in a 96-well screenable format in vitro. The platform is based on state-of-the-art fluorescence and laser scanning microscopes in combination with image analyses programs.
Moreover we analyze changes in mitochondria of pancreatic beta cells in diabetic and pre-diabetic mice. The underlying hypothesis is that the beta cells, besides the cells of peripheral tissues, harbor mitochondrial defects during type 2 diabetes. The molecular pathomechanisms in mitochondria are analyzed during development of type 2 diabetes and glucose intolerance in mice.
Our projects are
Lammert, Eckhard, Prof. Dr. rer. nat.
Director
Institute for Vascular and Islet Cell Biology
Fax: (0211) 81-13897
Belgardt, Bengt-Frederik, Dr. rer. nat.
Deputy Director
Institute for Vascular and Islet Cell Biology
Tel.: +49-(0)-211-33-82-451