Projects / Programmes
Search for early epigenetic biomarkers of obesity-associated clinical complications in the pediatric population.
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 3.05.00 |
Medical sciences |
Human reproduction |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B220 |
Biomedical sciences |
Genetics, cytogenetics |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 3.02 |
Medical and Health Sciences |
Clinical medicine |
Obesity, Methylation, Epigenetics, Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, pediatric population, early biomarkers
Researchers (19)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Obesity in children and adolescents is one of the main public healthcare problems worldwide. Although it was recently shown that growing obesity trends stabilized it is still imperative to identify molecular mechanisms leading to the development of obesity associated clinical complications. The impaired sensitivity of tissues to insulin, especially liver, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue is considered the main metabolic complication of obesity. This pre-diabetic state is already present in obese children and adolescent. Genetic background has an important role in the development of both insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). On top of that, it has been recently recognized that epigenetic information passed from parents to siblings may affect offspring’s metabolic status expanding the potential of inherited epigenetic information as an early biomarker of metabolic risk even before the main trigger (obesity in this case) affects the subject. The potential role of gene expression regulation in the development of clinical complications in obesity has been recently indirectly demonstrated by published results of our research team, where the specific gene variant located in the promoter region of gene DEPTOR has been associated with the risk of developing IR in obese pediatric patients. From the point of view of the public health and appropriate clinical management of the obese pediatric population it is crucial to identify the molecular background of obesity and its complications etiology. A clinical application of such a biomarker would positively affect the patient’s quality of life due to the improved clinical algorithms focused on prevention of IR and T2D. The proposed project’s hypothesis claims that it’s possible to identify specific epigenetic changes in the blood derived gDNA samples of obese children associated with the development of IR and metabolic syndrome potentially a consequence of prenatal, perinatal and/or early postnatal metabolic programming. The main focus of proposed project is the identification of DNA methylation patterns associated with IR, pre-diabetic state important for clinical intervention. The results of proposed project would be among the first to address the potential association between specific epigenetic changes and the risk of IR development in obese pediatric population.
Significance for science
Positive results of this project would improve the quality of clinical practice for the obese pediatric population at risk of developing insulin resistance and eventually type 2 diabetes. Moreover, the potential prevention of type 2 diabetes development would result in a reduced burden on public healthcare systems by reducing the costs of type 2 diabetes treatment.
Additionally, the success of this project would bring another international recognition of the excellence generated by Slovenian (medical) science.
Significance for the country
Positive results of this project would improve the quality of clinical practice for the obese pediatric population at risk of developing insulin resistance and eventually type 2 diabetes. Moreover, the potential prevention of type 2 diabetes development would result in a reduced burden on public healthcare systems by reducing the costs of type 2 diabetes treatment.
Additionally, the success of this project would bring another international recognition of the excellence generated by Slovenian (medical) science.
Most important scientific results
Interim report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Interim report
