In this new installment of "Austral Investigates", we present the work of Dr. Luz Andreone, professor at the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and adjunct researcher at CONICET, who shares her research on the cellular and molecular mechanisms that lead to the development of diabetes.
Worldwide, more than 500 million people have diabetes, and in Argentina, approximately 10% of the population suffers from this disease. Type 2 diabetes, which is associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome, is the most common, while a smaller percentage develop type 1 diabetes, of autoimmune and inflammatory origin, which usually manifests in childhood or adolescence. "The immune system attacks the beta cells of the pancreas, which are responsible for producing insulin, and that is why patients with type 1 diabetes must receive exogenous insulin for life," explains Dr. Andreone.
Her work focuses on the study of beta cells, which are fundamental in regulating blood glucose levels. "Our goal is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that lead to the disease in order to develop new therapies that improve patients' quality of life," the researcher explains. Recently, her team published research on the protective effect of a small molecule, compound A, on beta cells in an inflammatory environment characteristic of type 1 diabetes. "Now we want to analyze whether this effect holds true in the context of type 2 diabetes," she adds.
Beyond the medical impact, Dr. Andreone highlights the importance of research in scientific training and the development of critical thinking: "Research not only expands knowledge, but also allows us to train professionals with an analytical vision and a different way of thinking, based on the search for answers."
From her teenage years, biology sparked her curiosity, and today she seeks to transmit that passion to her students. "My goal in class is for them to understand that the knowledge they study was generated by someone. I want to ignite their spark so they can become future knowledge creators," she concludes.

Full interview on our channel YouTube.