Bruce Verchere, University of British Columbia
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Professor
Vancouver, British Columbia
verchere@interchange.ubc.ca
Office:
(604) 875-2490
(604) 875-3883
Expert In
Bio/Research
My research focuses on the insulin-producing beta cell of the pancreatic islet. The beta cell synthesizes and secretes the precise amount of insulin into the blood so that glucose and other nutrients can be stored as energy in tissue. In persons with diabetes, beta cells are dysfunctional or are ...
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Bio/Research
My research focuses on the insulin-producing beta cell of the pancreatic islet. The beta cell synthesizes and secretes the precise amount of insulin into the blood so that glucose and other nutrients can be stored as energy in tissue. In persons with diabetes, beta cells are dysfunctional or are destroyed, resulting in a deficiency of insulin secretion, which in turn leads to high blood glucose levels. In type 1 (juvenile onset) diabetes, the beta cells are killed by the patient’s own immune system. In type 2 (adult onset) diabetes, there is a decreased sensitivity of the peripheral tissues to insulin, and the beta cells cannot secrete sufficient insulin to compensate for this demand. Eventually, insulin secretion declines, probably due to loss of beta cells because of the toxic effects of prolonged hyperglycemia and the accumulation of islet amyloid deposits. We are trying to understand how beta cells are killed in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In the long term, we hope to devise new ways to protect beta cells from dying, thereby slowing or preventing the onset of the disease.
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