/ 0 " 3
Issue 24,23 3 Spring 2015
4 " Lowering diabetes risk in obesity 1 !
% high saturated-fat Eating food is
5 and, contributing to the rise in 6
obesity as a consequence, this increases the risk (67 -! !
of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. New ! 8 ! research published in the scientific 5 that journal Diabetes shows replacing $ '
saturated fatty acids with monounsatu ! 7 diet rated fatty acids
within a high-fat 1
9 can reduce inflammation in fat tissue and 4
: (9 4 :- increase insulin sensitivity.
% ! 5 6
$
UCD researchers led by Conway Fellow,
Professor Helen Roche, Associate
Professor of Nutrigenomics UCD School of Public
in ! " Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science and UCD Institute of Food # & Health, $
" types compared how different of % fats & " controlled the release of IL-1β, a powerful $ immune system protein. " % This protein the development of ' (" ) triggers "
insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. *+ , Obese individuals have levels of IL-1β higher - circulating in their system, which is thought .
" $
" " " from % . tissue. to originate adipose or fatty
" % /" # " -+ + % " +% "
" " Before IL-1β is released, primed
" cells are to
team have produce pro-IL-1β. The research " shown that replacing saturated fats with
% monounsaturated fats in a high fat diet
reduced pro-IL-1β priming in adipose . the " " " tissue. This had a knock-on reduc effect of ing the extent inflammation adipose "
of in tissue. and increasing insulin sensitivity.
% *01., “We have demonstrated for " the first time % ' that dietary monounsaturated fatty acids " can lower IL-1β mediated insulin resistance and " adipose dysfunction despite obesityâ€?, " said Dr Orla Finucane, postdoctoral " group 01.% and first researcher in the Roche author of the article. - 23 " " This study involved mice a high-fat feeding diet either with saturated fatty enriched " " acids or monounsaturated The $% 4 fatty acids.
" team used metabolic and genetic " analysis
to determine the extent of inflammation " and insulin To translate their tolerance. " "
findings from animal to humans, they then
% reanalysed data from human studies with
0 " detailed dietary fat data to discriminate
" " " " between fat quantity and composition. $ "
" " "
Director’s Message ) /
Welcome!
senior Recently, a number of Conway
8 8 and early1 career researchers have been recognised contributions
for outstanding ; and excellence in research. Most notably, Professor Cormac received the 2014 " Taylor Nature mid-career award " for mentoring in science Professor Des Higgins was $ while appointed a Fellow of the International " (" Society for Computational Biology. A " $ research paper by Des Higgins that set the
% . " B ' ' =3 ;- 23 ;- " A " %
international standard for DNA sequence analysis featured in Nature’s Top 10 most 4 " C
of all highly cited research publications " time.
$ "
Professor Helen Roche says, % “The findings of this study are exciting as we have shown ' (" at a molecular level how monounsaturated " fatty acids interact with immune cells within " " adipose tissue to reduce the risk of type 2 " diabetes developing. / 5 " ' '
The molecular pathways involved
" include a " metabolic " sensor called AMP-activated protein % kinase (AMPK) that also regulates inflammation. Type 2 diabetes is routinely & with 6. treated a drug that targets AMPK called However, ("
" Metformin. there have been recent " " ! " adverse concerns suggesting potential associated with cardiovascular side effects " this drug. On the basis of this research, 5 " %7 we propose that targeting AMPK through means would be both cost effective dietary " to and beneficial the " patientâ&#x20AC;?. 8 + % + & 9 : 0 : : . . 1 1 + + : . Reference : : ' (" fatty ;% acid + enriched ' % 23 3 22< Monounsaturated high/ fat-diets ==*>,?@A >@ impede adipose NLRP3 inflammasome mediated IL-1β
secretion and insulin resistance despite obesity. Finucane et al. Diabetes (e-pub ahead of print) January 27, 2015, doi:10.2337/db14-1098
Development Award (TIDA) programme. Researchers also won in four categories of " Awards. / the 2014 Irish Laboratory 0
23 3%
< Irish Cardiac Dr Chris Watson won the / " Society Brian Maurer Young Investigator " " Dr " was joint " award while Orla Galvin
Started
winner of the Get Technology
of " Venture Programme run "
as part % the Science Foundation Ireland /
I congratulate these individuals while acknowledging those who have been 0 " all successful in recent competitive funding " " awards and publications. of these " All achievements to the talent are
testament " + and calibre of scientists that are the cornerstone of this Institute.
4 -+ $ " " "
B 4 : -+ + 0 "
Enterprise Ireland Technology Innovation
" Walter " Kolch Professor "
% Director
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