Our lab uses cellular and mouse models to study protein folding and misfolding in pancreatic beta cells (proinsulin) and thyroid epithelial cells (thyroglobulin), in order to discover new treatments for conformational diseases that affect these cells of the endocrine system. Our lab has described the cellular and molecular basis for the human disease known as Mutant INS gene-induced Diabetes of Youth, caused in most cases by expression of misfolded mutant proinsulin.
