Jennifer Whistler, PhD, receives $825,500 research award from Novo Nordisk

Source: UCSF press release
Date: December 6, 2011

Jennifer Whistler, PhD, a principal investigator at the UCSF Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center, has received a two-year, $825,500 Diabetes Innovation Award from Novo Nordisk, an international health care company based in Denmark.

Dr. Whistler, a UCSF professor of neurology in residence, will use the award to study the interaction between NN2211, a Novo Nordisk drug for type 2 diabetes, and its target, the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) called GLP-1R, which plays a key role in insulin secretion. Dr. Whistler is investigating whether different alleles – genetic variations among individuals – of GLP-1 might play a role in determining how different patients respond to NN2211 and similar medications. GPCRs mediate key physiological processes throughout the body, and are the targets of almost half of all drugs approved for human use.

“Our immediate goal is to improve the utility of this drug and similar medications for type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Whistler. “Ultimately, our work could inform development of more effective drugs that are targeted to individuals based on their genetics.”

Dr. Whistler’s initial interest in GLP-1R stemmed from its multiple roles in the central nervous system, where it has been shown to be important for controlling food intake and modulating learning and memory, as well as modulating stress and anxiety responses. “Hence, we are interested in whether GLP-1R could be a target for the treatment of drug abuse, and whether genetic variability at this locus could be a risk factor for addiction,” she said.

The Novo Nordisk Diabetes Innovation Award Program was launched in 2011 to help scientists substantiate early research efforts that could result in new treatment options for diabetes and obesity.