Robertson Lab
R. Paul Robertson, M.D.
Dr. Robertson focuses on pancreas and islet transplantation, glucose toxicity of pancreatic beta cells and antioxidant drug treatments for type 2 diabetes
Dr. Robertson’s research efforts are both basic and clinical. His basic work focuses on understanding mechanisms for glucose toxicity in pancreatic islet beta cells. His team's findings demonstrate that the adverse effects of chronically exposing beta cells to supraphysiological concentrations of glucose involve induction of defective PDX-1 and Maf A gene expression, and consequently defective insulin gene expression. Most recently, they have demonstrated that glucotoxic effects on insulin and PDX-1 and Maf A gene expression in animals can be prevented by treatment with antioxidants, by adenoviral overexpression of glutathione peroxidase in beta cells, and by beta-cell specific overexpression of glutathione peroxidase. Grants supporting this work: NIH R01 DK 38325 and an ADA mentor-based Post-doctoral Fellowship.
His team’s clinical investigation involves metabolic studies in diabetic patients who are recipients of pancreas and pancreatic islet transplantation. They have demonstrated that successful recipients of pancreas transplants have normal HbA1c levels, normal insulin secretion, and normal hormonal counterregulatory responses to hypoglycemia as long as 20 years post-transplantation. They also perform extensive metabolic studies after islet transplantation in autoislet and alloislet recipients. Grant supporting this work: NIH R01 DK 39994.