Mechanisms of GLP-1 Action in the Cardiovascular System
Description: GLP-1R activator drugs safely confer numerous benefits, including weight loss and blood glucose normalizing effects, to patients with type 2 diabetes. Importantly, recent large clinical trials have shown that GLP-1R activators also reduce death and hospitalization from heart disease and stroke, which is a significant risk for people with diabetes. However, the underlying biological process whereby GLP-1R exert these benefits is poorly understood, which hampers the further development and application of GLP-1R activators with optimized cardiovascular actions. The aim of my research project is to define the location and cell populations that contain the GLP-1R in the cardiovascular system. I will then use genetically modified mice to selectively remove the GLP-1R in specific cell populations of interest and then deductively determine if the cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1R activators are dependent on these specific cell populations. With this work, I hope to provide insights that can lead to a new generation of GLP-1 therapies that are optimized for the reduction of cardiovascular disease and death for people with type 2 diabetes.
Amount: CA$135,000
Funding type: fellowship
Funder scheme: CIHR Fellowship
Start date: 2018-07-01
End date: 2021-06-30
Investigator: Brent McLean
Institution: Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (Toronto)
Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Funded outputs count: 0
Funder award ID: 158128_1
OpenAlex ID: G2763015201