Obesity and inflammation
We study the role of serglycin, which is expressed by endothelial cells and macrophages, in serglycin knock-out animals. Animals are fed a high fed and sucrose diet and changes serglycin and serglycin partner molecules in adipose tissue are studied in control and knock-out animals.
Health, Nutrition and Living Arrangements
We study nutritional-related health challenges for persons with intellectual disabilities living in community-based care homes. We also perform intervention studies to investigate methods and strategies to improve their health and nutritional status
Proteinuria and proteoglycans
Proteinuria in diabetes is related to changes in proteoglycans in kidneys of persons with diabetes and we study this in biopsies and blood samples from such patients. Our focus is on structural changes of proteoglycans and changes in the matrix composition of the glomeruli.
Syndecan shedding and disease
Syndecans are proteoglycans that are shed from the endothelial cells surface into circulation during different types of stress. We have shown that syndecan-1 is elevated in patients with type 1 diabetes and microalbuminuria. We are investigating the molecular mechanisms for syndecan-1- and syndecan-4-shedding under hyperglycemic and inflammatory conditions.