Eric Figueroa
University of Arizona
Jerod Denton lab
Diabetes affects more than 9% of Americans and has a cost burden of $245 billion. Kir4.2 (KCNJ15) was recently identified as a type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) susceptibility gene and that knock down of the gene stimulated insulin secretion, a function that is normally disrupted in diabetes patients. Together, these data show that Kir4.2 is a potential therapeutic target for T2DM. I will use pharmacological tools to investigate Kir4.2 and its role on insulin secretion in in vitro models, as well as in vivo models. My project will use a range of techniques from molecular biology to integrative physiology.