From rxpgnews.com
Roche and SystemsX collaborate in diabetes research
By Roche,
Dec 13, 2005 - 3:50:38 PM
Roche and the Competence Center for Systems Physiology and Metabolic Diseases (CC-SPMD) of SystemsX, the Swiss initiative in systems biology, today announced a three-year research partnership. Scientists from Roche and the CC-SPMD will participate in a joint research project entitled Systems biology of the beta cellapplication to type 2 diabetes progression. The project aims to identify novel pathways for drug development in diabetes as well as new biomarkers of beta cell failure for diagnostics. A team of more than 15 scientists at Roche and the CC-SPMD, including researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) and the University of Zurich, will collaborate and exchange research results. This new, systems-oriented research approach, the integration of several disciplines and collaboration of outstanding scientists from academia and industry will allow us to obtain new insights into the dysregulation of beta cells and their impact on type 2 diabetes progression. We intend to translate this knowledge into innovative treatment options for patients, said René Imhof, Head of Pharma Research, Basel.
This holistic approach should prove that the whole is stronger than the sum of the parts and ultimately replace the key physiological pathways at the centre of our attention, which is critical for our understanding of metabolic disorders, said Jacques Mizrahi, Global Therapy Area Head of Metabolic and Vascular Diseases at Roche.
I am very pleased that such a promising collaboration between a SystemsX project and Roche became reality so fast, said Prof. Ernst Hafen, President of the ETH Zurich and Chairman of the Board of Directors of SystemsX. Prof. Alexander Borbély, Vice-President Research at the University of Zurich, emphasised: The early incorporation of clinical scientists from the University of Zurich is a good example of an integrative approach to major scientific issues in medicine. Systems biology is a new discipline that addresses the analysis of entire biological systems. Rather than analysing individual components of a cell, systems biology is focusing on all components and their interacting networks at the level of genes, proteins, biochemical reactions and physiological processes. Understanding complex biological and physiological interactions can help scientists find new ways to detect, prevent and treat multifactorial and polygenic diseases such as diabetes.
Health experts have warned of a global epidemic of diabetes caused by a rise in overweight and obesity. In the Western world, around 90% of type 2 diabetes cases are attributable to weight gain. Because of the severe health and cost implications of this disease, organisations such as the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) have called for increased efforts to prevent its development. The IDF estimates that 314 million people worldwide, or 8.2% of the global population, have impaired glucose tolerance, a state that often precedes type 2 diabetes.
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