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By SHYAM PATEL
DUARTE,CA-Dr. Rama Natarajan is an Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism at the Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope in Duarte. She is an internationally renowned researcher nurturing new breakthroughs into diabetes, obesity, and their debilitating complications.
DUARTE,CA-Dr. Rama Natarajan is an Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism at the Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope in Duarte. She is an internationally renowned researcher nurturing new breakthroughs into diabetes, obesity, and their debilitating complications.
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Her lab has identified several mechanisms underlying the high rate of cardiovascular and kidney dysfunction in diabetic patients. Natarajan, along with her team, is determined to study and research the cellular and molecular mechanisms that play a key role in the development of diabetic complications. Diabetes afflicts more than 380 million people worldwide and this number is expected to double by 2030. Today, diabetes takes more lives than AIDS and breast cancer combined. Natarajan points out that people with diabetes are at greater risk of complications like heart attacks, strokes, hypertension and kidney disease, especially within the South Asian community. She has frequent discussions with the Chennai Diabetes Center. According to Natarajan, India is struggling to keep up with the surge in diabetic patients.Indians are not typically obese, but the adoption of a western diet combined with a lack of exercise has caused a large number of the population to develop the disease. Natarajan recommends getting blood sugar tests regularly, especially if one has a family history of medical issues. Furthermore, a balanced diet of vegetables and nuts along with exercise could be beneficial in combating the disease.
A major challenge in diabetes treatment is that despite good sugar control, many patients with diabetes continue to develop life threatening complications.”If you have had high sugar levels for many years, the damage has already been done even if you are taking your medication to keep your sugar down,” Natarajan states. She and her team of researchers are examining epigenetics in this “sugar memory” phenomenon. Unlike genetics,epigenetics is potentially reversible and understanding of this epigenome may help to elucidate the hidden causes of diabetes and its debilitating complications. Another key discovery being developed by Natarajan involves MicroRNA’s, which are unique molecules that play a critical role in diabetes and its complications. Her studies are focusing on how these molecules regulate the genes causing organ damage in diabetes, and in developing therapeutic approaches to block their actions. After earning her PhD at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, she fellowed at Salford University in England as well as the University of Southern California. Natarajan’s efforts over the last thirty years has earned her numerous awards. She also serves on the Editorial Board of “Diabetes”, the premier journal for diabetes research.She has trained numerous students in research, including those from the South Asian community.
A major challenge in diabetes treatment is that despite good sugar control, many patients with diabetes continue to develop life threatening complications.”If you have had high sugar levels for many years, the damage has already been done even if you are taking your medication to keep your sugar down,” Natarajan states. She and her team of researchers are examining epigenetics in this “sugar memory” phenomenon. Unlike genetics,epigenetics is potentially reversible and understanding of this epigenome may help to elucidate the hidden causes of diabetes and its debilitating complications. Another key discovery being developed by Natarajan involves MicroRNA’s, which are unique molecules that play a critical role in diabetes and its complications. Her studies are focusing on how these molecules regulate the genes causing organ damage in diabetes, and in developing therapeutic approaches to block their actions. After earning her PhD at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, she fellowed at Salford University in England as well as the University of Southern California. Natarajan’s efforts over the last thirty years has earned her numerous awards. She also serves on the Editorial Board of “Diabetes”, the premier journal for diabetes research.She has trained numerous students in research, including those from the South Asian community.