Lipid Research Group

High density lipoproteins (HDL) and diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is a metabolic disorder that occurs when insulin-producing cells in the pancreas are destroyed by the immune system. Type 2 diabetes is characterised by insulin resistance. Both Type 1
and Type 2 diabetes are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as eye,
nerve and kidney damage. The aims of this project are to determine how HDL can be beneficial in these disorders. The effects of HDL on various adipokines will also be investigated. Studies will be conducted
in vitro and in vivo.

The influcence of apolipoproteins on HDL structure and function

High density lipoproteins are spherical particles that protect against cardiovascular disease. They consist of a core of water insoluble, neutral lipids surrounded by proteins called apolipoproteins, which confer water solubility on the particles. This project focuses on apolipoprotein (apo) A-IV, the third most abundant HDL apolipoprotein after apoA-I and apoA-II. Almost nothing is known about the role of apoA-IV in HDL metabolism. The aim of this project is to investigate how apoA-IV affects HDL structure and their interactions with the enzymes and plasma factors that are fundamentally important for regulating HDL metabolism.

High density lipoproteins and inflammation

Work from this group has established that HDL have profound antiinflammatory properties. These properties are apparent in cultured cells and in an animal model of acute inflammation. The initial aim of this project is to examine the antiinflammatory properties of different types of HDL in both cell culture, and in an acute inflammatory setting. The effects of HDL on other inflammatory disorders will also be investigated.

The HDL that will be used in all of these projects will be prepared in from individual lipid and apolipoprotein components using novel techniques that have been developed in the Lipid Research Laboratory.