The onset of type 2 diabetes: proposal for a multi-scale model

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Metabolic Science
• Computational Biology

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a growing age-related health concern, particularly in Europe.
• T2D complications affect multiple organs, indicating a systemic inflammatory disease.
• Understanding T2D's complex mechanisms and identifying early diagnostic/inflammatory markers are crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an integrated, multilevel, patient-specific model for T2D.
• To simulate and predict metabolic and inflammatory processes in T2D onset and progression.
• To create a tool for diagnosis, clinical decision-making, and therapy prediction.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a multi-scale immune system simulator and mathematical methods.
• Modeling immunological/inflammatory processes, energy balance, and cell cycle rates.
• Validating model predictions with clinical and biological data.

Main Results:

• The study was initiated in March 2013 and completed by February 2016.
• A multi-scale model was developed to study systemic biological interactions in T2D.

Conclusions:

• The MISSION-T2D project translates validated immune-metabolic models into clinical practice.
• Predictive biomarkers for T2D will be generated by integrating diverse patient data.
• The goal is to develop cost-effective, mobile-based diagnostic tools for T2D.