Dr. Rickels conducts patient-oriented diabetes research that aims at understanding the pathogenesis of different types of diabetes and the in vivo mechanisms of new diabetes treatments. Dr. Rickels' studies involve methodologies for quantifying insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity, and glucose counterregulatory responses to hypoglycemia, and include the frequently-sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test, the glucose-potentiated arginine test, and hyperinsulinemic euglycemic and hypoglycemic clamps. Present work in Type 1 Diabetes is focused on patients with long-standing disease and is examining the effects of isolated islet or whole pancreas transplantation on insulin secretion and sensitivity, the effects of islet transplantation or real-time continuous glucose monitoring on glucose counterregulatory defenses against hypoglycemia, and the effects of the incretin hormone GLP-1 on insulin secretion in islet and pancreas transplant recipients. Current work in Type 2 Diabetes is focused on understanding early defects in insulin secretion and the impact on early impairments of different strategies for enhancing GLP-1 effects. Additional work is directed at investigating genetic determinants of insulin secretory reserve in humans and on understanding the pathophysiologic defects involved in the etiology of Cystic Fibrosis Related Diabetes.
Dr. Rickels specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes, hypoglycemia disorders, and general endocrinologic problems. Dr. Rickels predominantly cares for patients with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, and is particularly interested in islet and pancreas transplantation as therapies for Type 1 Diabetes, as well as islet autotransplantation for patients undergoing total pancreatectomy. Dr. Rickels serves as Medical Director for the Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Coupled to his research interests in islet and pancreas transplantation, and in glucose sensing and insulin pump technologies, Dr. Rickels is committed to translating complimentary approaches for cellular and artifical pancreas replacement as treatments for patients with difficult to control Type 1 and Pancreatic Diabetes.
Selected Publications
Rickels MR, Mueller R, Markmann JF, Naji A: Effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 on beta- and alpha-cell function in isolated islet and whole pancreas transplant recipients. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 94(1): 181-189, January 2009.
Rickels MR, Collins HW, Naji A: Amyloid and transplanted islets. New England Journal of Medicine (letter) 359(25): 2729-2731, December 2008.
Rickels MR, Naji A, Teff KL: Acute insulin responses to glucose and arginine as predictors of beta-cell secretory capacity in human islet transplantation. Transplantation 84(10): 1357-1360, November 2007.
Rickels MR, Kamoun M, Kearns J, Markmann JF, Naji A: Evidence for allograph rejection in an islet transplant recipient and effect on beta-cell secretory capacity. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 92(7): 2410-2414, July 2007.
Rickels MR, Schutta MH, Mueller R, Kapoor S, Markmann JF, Naji A, Teff KL: Glycemic thresholds for activation of counterregulatory hormone and symptom responses in islet transplant recipients. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 92(3): 873-879, March 2007.
Rickels MR, Kearns J, Markmann E, Palanjian M, Markmann JF, Naji A, Kamoun M: HLA sensitization in islet transplantation. Clinical Transplants 2006. Cecka JM, Terasaki PI (eds.). UCLA Tissue Typing Laboratory, Los Angeles, CA, Chapter 34: 413-420, 2007.
Rickels MR, Naji A, Teff KL: Insulin sensitivity, glucose effectiveness, and free fatty acid dynamics after human islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 91(6): 2138-2144, June 2006.
Rickels MR, Schutta MH, Mueller R, Markmann JF, Barker CF, Naji A, Teff KL: Islet cell hormonal responses to hypoglycemia after human islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes. Diabetes
54(11): 3205-3211, November 2005.
Rickels MR, Schutta MH, Markmann JF, Barker CF, Naji A, Teff KL: Beta-cell function following human islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes. Diabetes 54(1): 100-106, January 2005.
Rickels MR, Mandel SJ: Hypocalciuric hypercalcemia and autoantibodies against the calcium-sensing receptor. New England Journal of Medicine (letter) 351: 2237-2238, November 2004.
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Last updated: 11/29/2012
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