Dynamical models for diabetes: insights into insulin resistance and type 1 diabetes

Cycle 29th Oral Defence of the Phd Thesis
24 March 2017
24 March 2017
Contatti: 
Staff Dipartimento di Matematica

Università degli Studi Trento
38123 Povo (TN)
Tel +39 04 61/281508-1625-1701-3898-1980.
dept.math [at] unitn.it

Place: Seminar Room "-1"-  Department of Mathematics - Via Sommarive 14 - Povo - Trento
at 11.00 a.m.

  • Federico Reali - PhD in mathematics

Abstract:
Mathematical and dynamical models have been shown to provide a useful framework for the development of mechanistic descriptions of many biological phenomena. We exemplify how this may lead to valuable insights for biological phenomena related to diabetes and insulin resistance. In the first part, we present a whole body model for diabetes type 1 patients that aims at reproducing their glucose and insulin levels in the blood. Models like this are fundamental to support the development of devices that substitute some of the pancreas functionality. The second model is the first dynamical representation that investigates the interplay between a particular family of lipids, called sphingolipids, and the molecular mechanisms related to the development of insulin resistance. Our results provide mechanistic explanations for the role of sphingolipids in insulin resistance for mice macrophage tissues, which can be used as a means to assist investigations in identifying and designing new drugs.

Supervisors:
Corrado Priami
Ozan Kahramanogullari