Title of project

Biomarker discovery, training and validation,  Extracellular vesicles, Gestational Diabetes , metabolism, Ovarian Cancer, miRNAs, Proteomics

Abstract

My proposed visit to Denmark aims to further develop a collaborative network focused on researching endocrine communication through extracellular vesicles (EVs), with a focus on their role in dynamic metabolic changes stemming from obesity and diabetes. Denmark faces a significant public health challenge due to the prevalence of obesity, with recent data revealing that over half of the Danish population is now overweight. Obesity stands as a
primary catalyst for the initiation and progression of insulin resistance and diabetes. Recent research highlights the potential diagnostic and monitoring applications of EVs in disease management. EVs carry tissue-specific signaling molecules, such as lipids, proteins, and miRNAs, and upon release, they exert influence over target cell behavior, thereby inducing metabolic shifts that contribute to alterations in insulin sensitivity among diabetic patients. The aims of this Visiting Researcher Grant are to elucidate the multifaceted roles of EVs in diagnosing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obesity, understanding mechanisms behind severe insulin resistance in pregnancy with glucose metabolic disorders (SIR-MET), and identifying placental dysfunction biomarkers and metabolic changes in pregnancies affected by small for gestational age (SGA), and providing comprehensive insights into EV-mediated processes across distinct metabolic contexts. Over the past two years, I’ve fostered
collaborations with various research groups in Denmark, particularly with Professor Aase Handberg’s team, who are hosting this application and serve as a primary collaborative unit, situated at Aalborg University Hospital. I’ve also collaborated with Associate Professors Ulla Kampmann and Anne Sørensen. My expertise in in-depth characterization of bulk EVs from specific tissues will complement Professor Handberg’s single vesicle phenotyping approach. Furthermore, my research group has pioneered the notion that EVs could potentially
modulate insulin sensitivity throughout gestation, thereby aligning with the studies led by the Kampmann and Sørensen groups. By combining our respective technologies, we intend to apply them to a cohort of obese individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease undergoing intervention, as well as to pregnant women with diabetes and/or obesity, and pregnancies complicated by placental dysfunction.