DrAida Martinez Sanchez

Our group is interested in understanding how miRNAs and their gene targets contribute to maintaining pancreatic ß-cell identity, function and survival, which are altered in diabetes.

In recent years, we have been studying the role that miRNAs play in AMPK-dependent regulation of ß-cell function. AMPK is a critical energy sensor and a suggested target of widely used antidiabetic drugs such as metformin. Our earliest work (Martinez-Sanchez et al., 2018) demonstrated that AMPK regulates the expression of several miRNAs important for ß-cell proliferation, survival and differentiation. An example is miR-184, essential for ß-cell compensatory proliferation during pregnancy and diabetes.

More recently, we have discovered that miR-125b is up-regulated by hyperglycaemia via AMPK in mouse and human islets and that high levels of this miRNAs are deleterious for ß-cell function (Cheung, Pizza et al., 2022). Using an unbiased, high-throughput approach, we identified several miR-125b gene targets that might mediate some of the effects of miR-125b in ß-cells.

Currently, we are working hard to decipher the molecular mechanisms by which miR-125b and its targets control ß-cell function and to develop novel approaches to target miRNA action in these cells. We are doing so with the support of funders such as MRC and DUK and in collaboration with several other groups within and outside Imperial College.

With our work, we hope to gain a better understanding of the importance of these small molecules in the maintenance of glucose homeostasis and aid the development of more efficient drugs for the treatment of diabetes.



Martinez-Sanchez lab members:

Rosa Alen (Postdoctoral Researcher)
Sunehera Sarwat (PhD student)
Michael Paszek (PhD student)
Zhiyi (Amy) Wu (Research technician)
Bell Baker (Undergraduate student)


Alumni:
Dr Grazia Pizza (former PhD student)
Dr Rebecca Cheung (former PhD student)

Undergraduate/Postgraduate students:
Haykal Syed Azman (MSc Applied Genomics)
Melania Angampita (MSc Applied Genomics)
Sihao Ma (MRes Biomedical Research)
Yumai Lu (MRes Biomedical Research)
Victoria Zhang (BSc Medical Biosciences)
Alina Mihalovic (MSc Applied Genomics)
Becca Sherin (MSc Applied Genomics)
Ming Ming Yang (BSc Medical Biosciences)
Anusha Thapa (MSc Applied Genomics)
Anna Salowka (MRes Biomedical Research)
Angelos Spiliopoulus (MSc Applied Genomics)
Annabel Macklin (MRes Biomedical Research)