Joslin's C. Ronald Kahn to Discuss Genetics of Obesity at AACE Meeting

Newswise — C. Ronald Kahn, M.D., President of Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston and the Mary K. Iacocca Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, will discuss his latest research on the genetics of obesity at the 15th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), being held Wednesday, April 26 , through Sunday, April 30, at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. His talk, "New Insights into Diabetes & Obesity from DNA Chips," is set for Thursday, April 27, from 8:15-9:00 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency.

About Dr. Kahn's Research: Here is a link to Dr. Kahn's most recent study on the genetics of obesity and body composition, published this month in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: http://www.joslin.org/1148_3354.asp

Over the past three decades, Dr. Kahn's research has literally defined the field of insulin signal transduction and mechanisms of altered signaling in disease. In 1981, Dr. Kahn's laboratory discovered that the insulin receptor is an insulin-stimulated enzyme with protein tyrosine kinase activity. His laboratory also demonstrated how insulin signaling is altered in insulin-resistant states, such as type 2 diabetes and obesity; the impact of genetics and environment on these signaling functions; and how knowledge gleaned from these studies can be translated into new treatment methods for people with diabetes.

In recent studies, Dr. Kahn and his colleagues have conducted a series of studies using genetically engineered mice with knocked out insulin receptors in classical target tissues, such as liver, muscle and fat. These experiments indicate the important links between obesity, diabetes, longevity and other disorders including Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Kahn's laboratory also has major interest in adipocyte (fat cell) biology, an important area of obesity research. He is also the leader the Diabetes Genome Anatomy Project, a consortium of institutions involved in the use of DNA chips and proteomic techniques to study genetic factors in the cause of type 2 diabetes, obesity and other insulin resistant states.

For a biography of Dr. Kahn, click here: http://www.joslin.org/847_1066.asp

Click here for more information about Dr. Kahn's talk and the AACE meeting: http://www.aace.com/meetings/ams/2006/pressReleases.php?r=20060418

If you would like to interview Dr. Kahn about his obesity research, please let us know.