Metabolic Disease (MD) Discovery
Structured to capitalize on our state of the art molecular, in vitro, and in vivo expertise to ensure strong scientific advances. Each area applies diverse and multi-faceted approaches to discovering novel targets and developing innovative therapies.
Type 2 Diabetes
This group is using innovative techniques and research in evaluating multiple targets to address this major disease. Mechanisms such as impaired mitochondrial function, fatty acid metabolism, insulin resistance, and pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction, are being assessed to identify new treatment paradigms that will more significantly address the underlying causes of diabetes.
Metabolic Syndrome
Recent changes in health patterns are driving alarming increases in the number of patients with metabolic syndrome, defined as a clustering of disorders that include hypertension, glucose intolerance/insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and central obesity. Although there are many clinical trials on-going to test combinations of medicines to prevent the progression to CVD and diabetes in these patients, current approaches leave much room for improvement in efficacy and safety.
Obesity
Obesity is a major risk factor leading to multiple diseases such as Metabolic Syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease. This group is focused on delineating the mechanisms involved in the regulation of food consumption and energy expenditure that will have the most significant impact on substantive and meaningful weight loss.
Metabolic Dyslipidemia
Atherosclerosis, a complex disease involving dyslipidemia and vascular inflammation, is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries and is tightly associated with obesity and diabetes. A number of independent risk factors have been identified, the most notable are high levels of serum LDL cholesterol and low levels of serum HDL cholesterol. Although the most effective therapies, such as statins, lower LDL cholesterol significantly (20-60%), there is still a high incidence of coronary events in these patients. Therefore, MD scientists are focused on the need for additional therapeutic strategies to increase HDL,decrease triglycerides, reduce vascular inflammation and attenuate the prothrombotic state.
Sepsis
Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response (SIRS) to infection often characterized by profound changes in the microvasculature leading to cardiovascular collapse, end organ failure and a high mortality rate. More than 2 million cases of sepsis occur each year in the U.S., Europe and Japan, with estimated annual costs of $17 billion and mortality rates ranging from 20-50%. Only one treatment is currently approved for the most severe forms of cases of sepsis. Scientists in MD have developed innovative strategies for prophylaxis and treatment of sepsis