Award
2020.02.04
Translational Metabolic Genomics in the Grarup Group
The goal of the Grarup Group is to define the genetic determinants of diabetes-related phenotypes and to perform detailed physiological characterization of these variants in humans. The ambition is to translate this knowledge into clinically relevant interventions.
The overarching goal of the Grarup Group is to gain a deeper understanding of the genetic architecture of type 2 diabetes, to expand our insights into diabetes pathogenesis and pathophysiology and thereby contribute to the translation of basal findings towards advancements in clinical diabetes management and prevention.
Major focus areas are to define the genetic determinants of diabetes-related phenotypes with emphasis on insulin sensitivity and to determine the genetic determinants of taste preferences and perception.
Studies are performed in large-scale Danish cohorts such as the Inter99 study, international resources such as the UK Biobank and in surveys of the historically isolated Greenlandic population. Furthermore, we perform studies of newly recruited individuals, for instance by recall-by-genotype principles, to investigate the physiological impact on genetic variation related to metabolism.
“FGF21 Is a Sugar-Induced Hormone Associated with Sweet Intake and Preference in Humans”
Published in Cell Metabolism in 2017 this study identifies variation near FGF21 (the hepatokine fibroblast growth factor) in relation to food intake, especially sugar-containing items in Danish individuals. The findings suggest that the liver may secrete hormones that influence eating behavior
“Loss-of-function variants in ADCY3 increase risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes”
Published in Nature Genetics in 2018 this study identified a loss-of-function variant in ADCY3 (encoding adenylate cyclase 3) in Greenlanders, which had a high impact on obesity and type 2 diabetes. The findings provide new information on disease etiology relevant for future treatment strategies.
“Increasing insulin resistance accentuates the effect of triglyceride-associated loci on serum triglycerides during 5 years”
Published in the Journal of Lipid Research in 2016 this study investigates the association between a serum triglyceride weighted genetic risk score and changes in fasting serum triglyceride level over 5 years. The findings suggest that increased genetic risk load is associated with a larger increase in fasting serum triglyceride levels in nondiabetic individuals.
Staff list
| Name | Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grarup, Niels | Associate Professor | +4535337126 | |
| Haydar, Sara | Postdoc | +4535325072 | |
| Karlsson, Camilla Cederbye | PhD Student | ||
| Ramne, Stina | Postdoc | +4535320230 | |
| Suleman, Sufyan | PhD Fellow | +4529420555 | |
| Sørensen, Kimmie Vestergaard | PhD Student | +4535330742 |