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Scientific assistant Carlos Henriquez Olguín has received DKK 1.8 million for his postdoc based on the project called ”Resolving the contribution of subcellular ROS sources to muscle insulin resistance.”

It has been suggested that the overproduction of oxygen free radicals from the power plants of muscle cells, the mitochondria, plays a role in the development of insulin resistance in many types of cells, including muscle cells, but whether the mitochondria are involved or not remains a controversial point. In this project we will use muscles from mice and humans to examine the strong presumption that the enzyme NADPH oxidase 2, which produces oxygen free radicals, represents a double-edged sword, being both necessary for the muscle's development of insulin resistance and for some beneficial adaptations to exercise, including by controlling sugar metabolism and mitochondrial adaptations. This new knowledge and the new methods developed in this project are expected to help clarify the involvement of oxygen free radicals in muscle function and insulin resistance, thereby contributing to more precise medical prevention and treatment strategies. Adviser: Professor Jørgen Wojtaszewski.                                                                                                           

For more information about the project contact Carlos Henriquez Olguín or read a longer summary here.