On 9 November, Dr. Geert Poelmans and Dr. Janina Bralten hosted a webinar on the scientific background to PRIME, a Horizon 2020-funded project that is studying dysfunctional insulin signaling in neurological conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Insulin is a key regulator of metabolism, promoting the uptake and processing of the sugars present in our food. Dysregulated insulin signaling is well-known as a driver of metabolic disorders such as diabetes. However new evidence points to a role for dysregulated insulin signaling in the brain as a contributor to neurological conditions such as OCD, autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and AD. The PRIME project is investigating whether disturbances in insulin signaling in the brain are linked to these conditions, using a wide range of preclinical and clinical approaches.
In the PRIME webinar, Dr. Poelmans and Dr. Bralten explained the scientific basis for PRIME, showing how insulin genes may link several conditions and diseases characterized by multimorbidity. Describing the molecular mechanisms that are altered in AD, OCD and diabetes, they outlined how PRIME will evaluate the role of genes such as KCNQ1 in driving the development of these conditions.
