About Us

The Metabolic Mechanisms of Diabetes and Cancer Laboratory is led by Derek LeRoith, MD, PhD, Director of the Metabolism Institute. He is the Lillian and Henry M. Stratton Professor of Molecular Medicine and Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease.

The main focus of the laboratory is to understand the insulin and insulin-like growth factors in disease states. Dr. Leroith’s current research includes studies using animal models of type 2 diabetes and understanding the pathophysiology of the disorder as well as response to various established and newly discovered therapies. Using these models, the laboratory is studying the effects of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia on the development and growth of breast cancer and cancer metastases.

These studies involve both phenotyping, the metabolic responses using in vivo techniques such as hyperglycemic-euglycemic clamps, body composition using NMR and metabolic studies. In addition, this model is being used to study the effects of diabetes on bone, a common disorder.

Another set of studies involves the insulin-like growth factor system and its role in cancer. These involve both cell culture studies of the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor signaling pathways that affect cell cycle proteins, ER stress, cell survival, migration, and cell proliferation. The animal models include gene-deletion studies of the IGF system; both IGF-1 and the IGF-1 receptor, and effects on breast and colon cancer and metastases. These and other ongoing studies are expected to identify novel targets for cancer therapy.