Lay summary
The purpose of this project is to investigate the effects of hyperuricemia on pancreatic beta cell function. Hyperuricemia has been linked to major diseases such as cardiovascular diseases as well as diabetes mellitus and gout. Sadly, these diseases have also become an increasing health threat to the Pacific population. Studies have identified that Pacific populations may already be predisposed to these diseases due to our genetics. Therefore, this project aims to extend our understanding of how decreasing uric acid in the blood will benefit the health of Pacific Island population by looking specifically at the urate transporter GLUT9.