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Grant recipient

Niklas Mejhert

Linking Adipocyte Lipid Storage Determinants to Common Metabolic Disorders
Grant amount: DKK 10.000.000
Niklas Mejhert says: “The capacity of cells to store energy, predominantly in the form of fat (lipids), is a prerequisite for life. In mammals, the primary cell type responsible for lipid storage is the white fat cell (adipocyte). Attenuated adipocyte lipid storage capacity is associated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and dyslipidaemia via deposition of lipids in non-fat tissues, such as liver, muscle and vessels. Niklas Mejhert says: “To date, the mechanisms determining adipocyte lipid storage capacity are unclear. Therefore, the main objective of my project is to identify the determinants of lipid storage capacity in fat cells and how these in turn are linked to common metabolic disorders. To achieve this ambitious goal, we will combine clinical studies based on patient material with experiments performed in cells and animals. This will hopefully lead us to identify novel mechanisms important for lipid turnover and may pave the way for new therapeutic avenues to treat common metabolic disorders.”
Niklas Mejhert
Niklas Mejhert, Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden