Tag: Dr. Norris

Type 2 diabetes affects over 35 million Americans and is a leading cause of disability, expense, and mortality. Type 2 diabetes occurs worldwide and some countries have rates up to roughly three times higher than in the US. Type 2 diabetes rates are climbing, in part because there are not optimal therapies and preventative strategies. Dr. Norris has contributed to a team that has identified a novel molecular target to treat type 2 diabetes. The new findings have now been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications (link). The new target is a protein named SWELL1. It is a chloride transport protein and is involved in beta-cell and adipose tissue functions. Interestingly, certain small molecules that inhibit SWELL1 both improve insulin sensitivity and increase beta-cell function. This combination of effects potently improved blood sugar levels in mice, indicating that these types of SWELL1 inhibitors may be a very effective means to treat and/or prevent type 2 diabetes.

The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center (FOE-DRC) is located at the University of Iowa. The FOE-DRC was created in 2008 when the Fraternal Order of Eagles pledged a $25 million gift toward diabetes research. Since then, the FOE-DRC (link to FOE-DRC homepage) has grown to include over 100 faculty researchers from across the University. Collectively, these faculty conduct over $30 million of NIH-funded research annually. Major innovations have included studies of mitochondrial function, muscle wasting in diabetes, heart dysfunction in diabetes, diabetes in cystic fibrosis, and use of electromagnetic fields to lower blood sugar. From 2013-2021, the Center was under the stellar leadership of Dr. Dale Abel, who now has been recruited to lead the Department of Internal Medicine at UCLA. While a new permanent FOE-DRC head is being recruited, Dr. Andrew Norris from our Division will serve as interim Co-Director of the FOE-DRC, alongside Dr. Kamal Rahmouni. From 2014-2021, Dr. Norris served as Associate Director of the FOE-DRC. Dr. Norris has been a diabetes researcher for over 2 decades, leading translational studies related to the integrated physiology of diabetes across the lifespan, with recent focus on cystic fibrosis related diabetes and early life determinants of diabetes risk.

Pancreatic islets are the cells that produce insulin and glucagon, and are otherwise known as the endocrine pancreas. The islets are surrounded by the exocrine pancreas. The exocrine pancreas is a gland that creates digestive juices for the intestine. It has long been postulated that the exocrine pancreas cells help support the function and existence of the islets. The corollary is that a diseased exocrine pancreas might have negative influence on islet function. This postulated biology may be at play in cystic fibrosis related diabetes (CFRD), a unique form of diabetes that afflicts many persons who have cystic fibrosis. To test this possibility, researchers at the University of Iowa have studied exocrine pancreas cells grown in cell culture from ferrets with and without cystic fibrosis. The researchers found that the exocrine cells affected by cystic fibrosis secrete different proteins than the healthy cells. Furthermore, some of the differences are expected to impact islet function. The results were published in the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. Dr. Norris from our division was one of the study authors, along with other scientists.

Pancreatitis often leads to hyperglycemia. However, there have been major limitations in understanding the involved pathophysiology. Several collaborators at the University of Iowa have now created a model to help understand the process. The research team found that cerulein injections led to pancretitis with elevated amylase and lipase. Acute accompanied the acute pancreatitis, with both impaired insulin levels and evidence of insulin resistance. Glucose tolerance normalized by 3 months. The research team included our Dr. Andrew Norris, but also pediatric gastroenterologist Aliye Uc and researchers and faculty from the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology.

Our division director has contributed to new scientific work that has been published in Cell Metabolism showing that exposure to generated electromagnetic fields lowers blood sugar in rodents with type 2 diabetes. Dr. Norris helped design and interpret the glycemic clamp studies that were used to better understand the physiological mechanisms involved in the phenomenon. (Pubmed link; DOI link).