Glucose transport in the diabetic kidney

Professor Josephine Forbes, Dr Lindo Gallo and team at the University of Queensland are conducting research on the discovery of new pathways to combat diabetes and kidney disease. Specifically how glucose is absorbed and moved around within the kidneys in diabetes.

“This research is important because a new class of therapy to lower blood glucose levels, called SGLT2 inhibitors, has recently become available for individuals with type 2 diabetes,†says Professor Forbes. “This therapy works specifically in the kidney to encourage the excretion of glucose into the urine, which therefore reduces the levels in the bloodstream.

“Our research aims to improve the way we therapeutically target the kidney to improve blood glucose levels and also provide clues as to why the kidneys are commonly affected in individuals with diabetes.

“Funding from Diabetes Australia is absolutely critical in allowing us to perform this research. The financial support contributes to the cost of research consumables, infrastructure, and staff salaries. Through our combined research effort and support from Diabetes Australia, we hope to contribute to efforts to improve lives for all individuals with diabetes and kidney disease.â€

Prof Josephine Forbes is a senior researcher at Mater Research Institute, Dr Linda Gallo is an Honorary Fellow at Mater Research Institute.