Muscle, Adipose and Pancreatic Islet Crosstalk in the Pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes – MYODIAB

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a life-threatening chronic disease associated with aging and a poor lifestyle. T2D is characterized by peripheral insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. The central aim of MYODIAB is to elucidate the interplay between skeletal muscle, adipose tissue and pancreatic islets critical for the maintenance of glucose homeostasis and the development of T2D. Herein, we will specifically aim to : 1) identify adipose- or skeletal muscle-derived factors linked to insulin resistance and T2D in cross-sectional and interventional human clinical cohorts, 2) determine whether candidate factors “crosstalk” between white adipose tissue, skeletal muscle and pancreatic islets in vitro using cell-based assays and in vivo in mouse models, 3) validate the candidate factors as biomarkers of Type 2 Diabetes progression in prospective human clinical studies. The MYODIAB proposal should help us to unravel the critical role of inter-organ crosstalk in metabolic homeostasis and disease development.