Prof. dr. Paul Thornalley
Methylglyoxal stress in diabetes and its complications
Dr Paul J Thornalley (PhD Biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK) is Adjunct Professor, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar. He is a leading researcher of metabolic dysfunction in diabetes and advanced glycation endproduct (AGE) precursor, methylglyoxal, and its metabolism by glyoxalase 1 (Glo1). He developed the “Hexokinase-linked glycolytic overload and unscheduled glycolysis” hypothesis of hyperglycemia-induced pathogenesis in insulin resistance, beta-cell glucotoxicity and diabetic vascular complications and identified methylglyoxal as major physiological activator of the unfolded protein response. He pioneered small molecule inducers of Glo1 expression for treatment of insulin resistance and Glo1 inhibitors for treatment of Glo1-linked multidrug resistant tumors.