From discovery to mechanism
"I´ve been a part of this project from the beginning; from the discovery that a normal genetic variant in the gene for melatonin increases the risk of type 2 diabetes until now when we´re working on mapping why", says Cecilia Nagorny.
The discovery of the risk variant was made by LUDC researchers just over two years ago. The next natural step is to map the underlying mechanisms. This is what Cecilia Nagorny does in test tubes and using laboratory animals where either one or the other or both melatonin receptors have been knocked out, so called knockout mice.
Impairs insulin secretion
The amount of melatonin is affected by daylight and is part of what regulates our circadian rhythm. At night, when it is dark, levels are high. In the day time, when it is light, levels fall. Sometimes, melatonin is referred to as the hormone of darkness. The association with type 2 diabetes is that the risk variant of the receptor decreases the insulin-producing beta cells´ability to secrete insulin. One way to increase secretion would be to use drugs to bloc the receptor. "As the receptor is at the cell surface this is certainly possible", syas Cecilia Nagorny.
Maybe a new computer
The student award includes a monetary reward of SEK 30.000. "This will probably be spent on quite boring stuff, such as laboratory materials and perhaps a new computer", she says.
This is the third time Cecilia Nagorny is awarded the prize, previous years she has shared it. This year was the first time one PhD student was singled out. "Naturally, this makes it even more prestigious", she says. However, next year she is not in the running; the plan is that she will defend her thesis in September of this year.
Text: Tord Ajanki and Camilla Franks