Beta Cells in Health and Disease

Invitation

The epidemic increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes all over the World has intensified the efforts to find ways of treatment and prevention of this disease that is a threat to population heath and health care economy. In fact the increase in the incidence of type 1 diabetes is similar but in a lower scale. Both forms may be related to the changes in life style. Type 2 diabetes is closely associated with increased availability of high energy nutrients and decreased physical activity whereas type 1 diabetes seems to be associated with increased hygiene and reduced exposure to infectious agents. In both forms the pancreatic beta cell plays a pivotal role. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the beta cells are destroyed by an autoimmune process whereas type 2 diabetes occurs when the capacity of the beta cells to compensate for the increased demand in obesity is insufficient. Recent genome wide association studies have identified more than 50 susceptibility gene loci of which the majority is expressed in the beta cells. Therefore the beta cells are the focus for much of the current diabetes research and the aim of the conference “Beta Cells in Health and Disease” in Turkey is to bring together some of the leading experts in beta cell biology to present the latest development in the field and outline the avenues for future research that may lead to cure or prevention of this devastating disease.

We are looking forward to welcome you at Kocaeli University-Turkey in May 2014.

Congress Secretariat
Kocaeli University School Of Medicine 
Halime Kenar, PhD
[email protected]