Previously known as the Mouse Phenotyping Core of the Washington University DRTC, the Diabetes Models Phenotyping Core of the DRC provides specialzed technical services and expertise to DRC members in order to enhance their productivity, increase their efficiency, and promote interactive multidisciplinary research. The Core pursues three overarching objectives: 1) To provide phenotyping services to DRC members to facilitate NIH funded diabetes /metabolism-related research and enhance the cost-effectiveness of that research;2) To train DRC investigators in the maintenance and manipulation of mouse colonies relevant to diabetes and metabolic research;3) To develop new research capabilities to enhance the ability of DRC members to perform diabetes and metabolic research. The Core has been extremely successful at achieving these objectives. During the previous period of support by NIH, 33 different diabetes-related laboratories utilized Core services. In terms of the three services in most demand by our members, the Core performed more than 32,000 biochemical analyses of mouse serum, more than 2,700 body compositions in mice, and more than 3,200 biochemical analyses of tissues. Training is critical to the mission of the Core, and more than 100 clock hours of consultation were provided to members of 15 different DRC laboratories during the previous period of support. Core services evolve based on DRC needs, and we are in the process of establishing in vivo imaging of living mice as a new core service. Since 2007, this Core has supported high impact research relevant to type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular complications of diabetes, lipid mediators of the pathophysiology of diabetes syndromes, and microbiota impacting diabetes phenotypes. Several of these observations have provided the conceptual framework for translational studies in humans with the potential to treat diabetes and its complications.
Diabetes is one of the most serious public health problems in America, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are increasing in prevalence, and therapeutic options for diabetes and its complications are limited. This Core provides services with the potential to identify novel strategies with the potential to lead to new diabetes treatments.
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