Rajesh Kumar’s summary of the ongoing research project was the best one according to the seven members of the jury of the Presidential Poster Competition. “We’re indicating a completely new way to treat type 2 diabetes with the female oestrogen hormone”, he says. “Our results attracted a lot of attention and many scientists got in touch at the congress or afterwards and now want to start collaborating with us”, he continues.

Insulin cell physiology
Rajesh Kumar works in a research group that focuses on the physiology of insulin-producing cells. Earlier this year, the group published a scientific paper which described a previously unknown oestrogen receptor in insulin-producing cells. Through animal models, the group was also able to show that a substance that stimulates the receptor has two beneficial effects, i.e. insulin release is stimulated when blood sugar levels rise and the blood sugar-raising hormone glucagon is inhibited. “As the cardinal symptom for type 2 diabetes is insulin deficiency, both effects are important”, explains Albert Salehi who heads the research group.

Strengthens the transplant
The group has since carried out laboratory experiments on human insulin-producing cells. It found that these cells react in the same beneficial way as the cells of laboratory animals. In addition, they found that oestrogen dramatically improves the survival rates of insulin cells. This could prove very significant when insulin cells or other organs are to be transplanted. “Normally, a large proportion of insulin cells die during the isolation phase and during the actual transplantation, but when oestrogen is added survival rates increase by several hundred percent”, explains Albert Salehi.

Large interest
At the congress, Rajesh Kumar was asked to present the scientific findings seven times. “It was very positive that so many eminent researchers found our work interesting”, he says. Now all that remains is writing and publishing an article in a scientific journal on the protective effect of oestrogen on transplants.
Albert Salehi has worked with oestrogen and diabetes for more than ten years. Rajesh Kumar, whose doctoral thesis focuses on oestrogen, has worked in this field for three years.

Text: Tord Ajanki/Camilla Franks