Type 2 diabetes affects over 500 million people worldwide and impairs the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar. A key contributor is dysfunction in skeletal muscle mitochondria, the structures responsible for producing energy and supporting metabolism. These mitochondria require continuous maintenance and renewal to function effectively, yet how this process is regulated, particularly during exercise, remains poorly understood in type 2 diabetes.
This project will investigate how type 2 diabetes alters the molecular pathways that control the removal of damaged mitochondria in skeletal muscle. Using studies in people, animal models, and muscle cells, we will identify how damaged mitochondria are recognised and removed, and how failures in this process contribute to impaired fat and sugar metabolism. By defining these mechanisms, the work will provide new insight into skeletal muscle health in type 2 diabetes and identify targets for future therapies to improve metabolic health.