AC-EPR: AIG Hospitals launches Asia's first diabetes research facility
The centre is poised to revolutionize diabetes treatment through meticulous study
By Anoushka Caroline Williams Published on 28 March 2024 4:28 AM GMT
Hyderabad: AIG Hospitals has launched Asia's first research center to unravel the mysteries of diabetes and study the pathogenesis of insulin deficiency in the population.
The newly established Asian Centre for Endocrine Pancreas Research (AC-EPR) is poised to revolutionize diabetes treatment through meticulous study and personalized solutions tailored to the Indian population.
Backed by a substantial research grant from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, and the Wellcome Trust, AC-EPR will collaborate with four distinguished global organizations: Emory Global Diabetes Research Center and Vanderbilt Diabetes Center from the USA, and St. Johns Research Institute and University of Hyderabad from India.
Dr. D Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman of AIG Hospitals, underscored the urgency of addressing India's diabetes epidemic, emphasizing the nation's staggering count of over 100 million diagnosed cases. "We recognize the urgent need to address the diabetes epidemic gripping our nation," he stated.
Dr. M Sasikala, Principal Investigator for the project, highlighted the interdisciplinary approach of AC-EPR, stating, "Under the Asian Centre for Endocrine Pancreas Research (AC-EPR), we will integrate all such expertise from across the world under one roof and study the mechanism (pathogenesis) of insulin deficiency in our population."
The center aims to facilitate groundbreaking research by assembling a diverse team of experts, including endocrinologists, pancreatologists, molecular biologists, bioinformaticians, and epidemiologists. Dr. Sasikala further explained, "The center will also facilitate the storage of islet cells (cells responsible for insulin production in the pancreas) in a BioBank to help future research purposes."
Dr. Reddy elaborated on the collaborative project's objectives, highlighting the quest for metabolic markers for glycemic progression. "One of the most fascinating aspects of this collaborative research project is the objective to find metabolic markers for the progression of glycemia," he remarked.
