Faculty
Biology
Supervisor Name
Vojislava Grbic
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Description
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is on the rise worldwide. In addition to genetics and lifestyle factors, exposure to foreign chemical compounds, known as xenobiotics, is emerging as an important risk factor. Pesticides, as a class of xenobiotics, have been credited to significantly increase agricultural production and prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases. However, there is now emerging evidence that long-term pesticide exposure can become toxic, disrupt the body’s balance of energy homeostasis, and contribute to the pathogenesis of many metabolic diseases. If human susceptibility to pesticides results in T2D, looking to other organisms that are immune to pesticides may help solve human disorders. In contrast to incidental exposure on humans, pesticide applications to a detrimental agricultural pest, the two-spotted spider mite, is often futile. The mite’s remarkable ability to detoxify and develop resistance often protects them against energy dysregulation. By studying mites, we learn how they overcome pesticide toxicity, and when translated to humans, this could one day help us overcome and prevent xenobiotic mediated T2D.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my supervisors: Dr. Vojislava Grbic, Dr. Vladimir Zhurov, and Dr. Slavica Tudzarova-Trajkovska for their guidance, support, and supervisor on this project. I would also like to thank my research team: Jorden Maglov, Kennedy Barkhouse, Dorothy Lin, and Anton Alexander for their contributions to this project.
Document Type
Video
Xenobiotic Mediated Diabetes: How Mite Humans Learn to Cope
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is on the rise worldwide. In addition to genetics and lifestyle factors, exposure to foreign chemical compounds, known as xenobiotics, is emerging as an important risk factor. Pesticides, as a class of xenobiotics, have been credited to significantly increase agricultural production and prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases. However, there is now emerging evidence that long-term pesticide exposure can become toxic, disrupt the body’s balance of energy homeostasis, and contribute to the pathogenesis of many metabolic diseases. If human susceptibility to pesticides results in T2D, looking to other organisms that are immune to pesticides may help solve human disorders. In contrast to incidental exposure on humans, pesticide applications to a detrimental agricultural pest, the two-spotted spider mite, is often futile. The mite’s remarkable ability to detoxify and develop resistance often protects them against energy dysregulation. By studying mites, we learn how they overcome pesticide toxicity, and when translated to humans, this could one day help us overcome and prevent xenobiotic mediated T2D.