I am Jones Ofori and I am originally from Ghana. In 2011 I got the opportunity to pursue a master degree in Molecular biology and Biotechnology at Lund University. During the Master’s program I was privilege to do Master’s thesis in Prof. Lena Eliasson’s lab investigating the role of microRNAs in insulin-producing beta cells. MicroRNAs is a type of genetic material that was previously considered insignificant, as it does not code for proteins. Now we know that microRNAs play an important role in the cell by contributing to the regulation of various gene activities, which have an impact on diseases including Type 2 Diabetes. I developed an interest for diabetes research during my master’s thesis, so I decided to further my education in this area.

In 2013, I started PhD in Prof Eliasson’s lab and defended my thesis Non-coding RNAs in beta cell insulin secretion - emerging players in Type 2 Diabetes pathogenesis in 2017. As part of my PhD studies, we found that the levels of certain microRNAs differ between beta cells from patients with Type 2 Diabetes and healthy individuals. Therefore, I think that microRNAs influence and control processes in the beta cell that have significant impact on diabetes.

Interesting, these microRNAs can be a target for RNA-based therapy to treat diabetes. However, for this to become reality, in-depth research and knowledge regarding these microRNAs is required.

miR-200c and insulin production

My EASD poster this year is about one microRNA (miR-200c). We have found that type 2 diabetic individuals have more of this microRNA in their islets of Langerhans (where the insulin producing cells are situated) compared to healthy individuals. We also saw that when we experimentally increased the levels of miR-200c in insulin producing cells, these cells released less insulin. We also present some ideas about the mechanism behind this. I find these results interesting because people with type 2 diabetes do not secrete enough insulin. One of the contributing factors for the reduced insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes could be the increased expression of miR-200c.

Sharing new ideas

I am mostly looking forward to sharing my data about miR-200c. I hope it will lead to interesting discussions and valuable feedback from colleagues in the field. Also, I will have the opportunity to listen to important talks in my research area.

I am looking forward to a week full of sharing new ideas, new findings, and networking in this year's EASD meeting in Barcelona.

Being at EASD every year is important to me because of the opportunity to meet other scientists working towards the same goal – to battle diabetes.

I believe this is a great opportunity to present my work and give my contribution to the emerging knowledge in this research field. It is always inspiring to listen to world leading keynote speakers and their take on various aspect of diabetes research. Attending EASD also helps me keep updated on emerging trends and topics in my research field.

If you want to learn more, listen to Jones Ofori on Tuesday September 17, 13:15 - 14:15, during the "Rise and fall of the beta cell" session.

Title: MiR-200a/b/c regulates the expression of transcription factor ETV5 to reduce depolarisation-induced insulin secretion