Mechanisms of diabetic complications
The high glucose levels characteristic of diabetes lead to complications such as kidney damage; however, the precise mechanisms by which this occurs is not understood.
Professor Bach’s laboratory studies the role of proteins that are modified by glucose, namely AGEs (advanced glycation end products). They have identified a novel interaction between AGEs and the ERM (erzin-radixin-moesin) proteins, which are important for maintaining cell shape and function.
In 2014, they studied whether this interaction damaged podocytes, which are key cells within the kidney filtering apparatus.