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Molecular Pharmacology for Diabetes

SHS JPG Chinese Medicine Molecular Pharmacology for Diabetes group photo

Molecular pharmacology for diabetes research group.

Health Innovations Research Institute and School of Health Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.

Group leaders

Professor Jiming Ye, PhD, MMed, MD
Email: jiming.ye@rmit.edu.au

Dr Juan Carlos Molero, PhD
Email: juan.molero@rmit.edu.au

Our work

About 200 million people are suffering from diabetes worldwide and this figure is expected to increase to over 300 million by 2025. Over 90% is mature-onset or type 2 diabetes (T2D). T2D has two fundamental metabolic perturbations: insulin resistance (a loss of sensitivity in liver and muscle to insulin action) and inadequate insulin secretion. Insulin resistance is also at the centre of the Metabolic Syndrome which includes non-alcohol fatty liver and central obesity. Our overall research goal is to translate the discovery in the basic research towards new solutions for the prevention and treatment of T2D.

Areas of interest

  • Insulin resistance pathogenesis and reversal
  • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
  • Lipid synthesis and stress pathways
  • Mitochondrial metabolism
  • Drug discovery and molecular pharmacology

Current research projects

1. Pathogenesis of insulin resistance and fatty liver disease

The overall aim of this research arm is to address the pathway interaction leading to fatty liver and insulin resistance. The group currently focuses on the involvement of the pathways of de novo lipogenesis, endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial metabolism in the development of fatty liver and insulin resistance. Our ultimate goal is to identify new cellular targets and pathways for therapeutic interventions including the discovery of new anti-diabetic drugs.

2. Drug discovery and molecular pharmacology

The overall aim of this research arm is to translate our basic research above to combat insulin resistance and fatty liver disease by discovering therapeutic approaches. We have adopted a unique approach to discover and develop new anti-diabetic drugs from the compound libraries derived from traditional Chinese medicines (TCM). Our research ranges from cell-based based screening and in vivo therapeutic assessment to the investigation of the molecular mode of action and identification of cellular targets of drug action.

Research team members

1. RMIT

  • Dr. Stanley Chan (PhD), Postdoc fellow
  • Ms. Ruoqioing Sun (MSci), PhD scholar
  • Mr. Sean Klinkradt (BSci), PhD scholar
  • Ms. Yingchun Chen (MSci), visiting PhD scholar
  • Mr. Conan Zeng (BSci Hon), PhD student/RA
  • Mr. Hao Wang (MSci), PhD scholar
  • Ms. Xiu Zhou (BSci), Master scholar
  • Mr. William Cai (MSci), RA

Work Placement Program (Research Training Program for 4th Year Undergraduates)

  • Ms. Ilvana Zika, Pharmaceutical Science
  • Mr. Zi Choong, Pharmaceutical Science

2. External

  • Dr. Luping Ren (MD, PhD), Clinical research physician, General Hospital of Hebei Province, China
  • Mr. Brad Hayward, PhD scholar, Deakin University

Current research funds

NHMRC Program Grant, NHMRC Project Grant, ARC Discovery Project grant

External partners (with recent joint grants)

Garvan Institute of Medical Research (Sydney):

  • Prof David James (Drug target identification and pathway analysis)
  • Prof Edward W Kraegen (Metabolic profiling with tracer techniques)
  • Prof Greg Cooney (Energy balance and molecular metabolism)

Chinese Academy of Sciences (Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica)

  • Prof Hualiang Jiang (Drug Design and Modeling Center)
  • Prof Yang Ye (Natural Product Chemistry Group)
  • Prof Lihong Hu (National Center for TCM Modernization Research, China)
  • Prof Jia Li (National Drug Screening Center, China)
  • Prof Xu Shen (Biophysics for Target Identification Group)

External collaborators

  • Hong Kong University: Prof Aimin Xu (Cytokines and fatty liver disease)
  • Baker IDI: A/Prof Rebecca Ritchie (Diabetic cardiopahty)
  • Sun Yat-Sen University: Prof Jun Xu (High performance computing)
  • General Hospital of Hebei Province (China): Prof Guangyao Song (Clinical trials)

Research opportunity

Collaborative Research Opportunities

Postdoctoral and postgraduate students will have an opportunity to perform research at our collaborating institutions: Garvan Institute of Medical Research (Sydney), Hong Kong University (Hong Kong), Chinese Academy of Sciences (Shanghai) and Sun Yat-Sen University (Guangzhou)