OU Health Harold Hamm Diabetes Center

23/07/2025

Fatty liver disease affects millions of people and right now, there is only one FDA-approved treatment for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, the advanced stage of the disease.

What if your brain could help heal your liver? A new study published in Cell Press by University of Oklahoma researcher Matthew Potthoff, Ph.D., and team has found that a natural hormone called FGF21 can reverse fatty liver disease in mice and it works by sending signals to the brain to help the liver heal itself.

Similar to the family of weight loss drugs known as GLP-1s, which help regulate blood sugar levels and appetite, FGF21 acts on the brain to regulate metabolism. The hormone not only reduced fat in the liver, but also reversed scarring, even while the mice continued eating an unhealthy diet.

This breakthrough in understanding how the brain can help heal the liver underscores the vital connection between research, clinical care, and education at the University of Oklahoma and OU Health, driving innovation that could lead to more effective treatments for patients in the future.

28/05/2025

The prestigious Harold Hamm International Prize for Biomedical Research in Diabetes, an honor bestowed by OU Health Harold Hamm Diabetes Center at The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, will be awarded this fall to Professor Dr. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler, Director of the Institute of Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health. She is also Chair in Diabetes and Gestational Diabetes at Technische Universität München, School of Medicine. She is being honored for her research to understand the pathogenesis of Type 1 diabetes and efforts toward its prediction, early diagnosis and prevention.

“The award is an incredible motivation to look ahead and continue on the path toward understanding the pathogenesis of Type 1 diabetes and developing preventive therapies – with the ultimate goal of finding a cure,” Ziegler said.

Read the full story on OU News:
https://www.ou.edu/news/articles/2025/may/laureate-announced-for-hamm-international-prize-for-diabetes-research

21/05/2025

A new study, co-authored by Jed Friedman, Ph.D., director of the OU Health Harold Hamm Diabetes Center and associate vice provost for diabetes programs at The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, reveals that a high-fat, high-sugar diet during pregnancy can cause liver stress in unborn babies, with effects lasting into early childhood. This stress is linked to changes in bile acids, which can become toxic at high levels.

Babies exposed to high-fat diets in the womb show higher bile acid levels, increasing the risk of liver damage and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), affecting up to 30% of young people. The research highlights the critical link between maternal diet and early liver health.

High-fat, high-sugar maternal diet causes liver stress in unborn babies, linked to bile acid changes and liver disease. OU Health's Jed Friedman co-authors research highlighting early intervention benefits.

02/05/2025

Don't miss out on the latest in diabetes research news, clinic updates, and upcoming events with our Spring 2025 Newsletter.

Read more: www.ouhealth.com/blog/2025/april/harold-hamm-diabetes-center-spring-2025-newslett/

Explore the Spring 2025 Harold Hamm Diabetes Center Newsletter featuring new deputy director Matthew Pothoff, research news, clinic updates, and upcoming events. Learn about diabetes research milestones, new grants, and member achievements.

08/04/2025

OU Health Harold Hamm Diabetes Center’s Camp Blue Hawk is an overnight camp for kids with type 1 diabetes. We are committed to never turning away a child or a family because of an inability to pay, so camper scholarships are critical to our mission of serving children and teens living with Type 1 diabetes.

Your gift will not only provide valuable support for Camp Blue Hawk — it will also provide hope to the families we serve.

Give now: https://one.givesooner.org/HHDC

01/04/2025

Mark your calendars and help us spread the word about OU Giving Day on Tuesday, April 8!

Donations made to the OU Health Harold Hamm Diabetes Center during The University of Oklahoma Giving Day support groundbreaking research and initiatives to help improve the lives of Oklahomans facing diabetes.

Give today: https://one.givesooner.org/HHDC

17/03/2025

Don't miss out on our five-day, four-night camp for children and teens with Type 1 diabetes. Camp Blue Hawk will be July 28 - August 1, and campers will have the opportunity to participate in swimming, hiking, dancing, campfires and more.

Registration opens today, March 17, and closes Tuesday, July 1. Sign up, here: https://app.campdoc.com/!/dn/login?r=campbluehawk

14/02/2025

From research studies on diabetes and heart disease risk to insights from the recent Director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, you can learn about the latest in diabetes grants, publications, events and more in our newsletter!

The HHDC Newsletter includes regular features on HHDC member research, grants, publications, presentation highlights, media and distinctions. Upcom...

27/12/2024

We're excited to share that Matthew Potthoff, Ph.D., will be joining us as our new deputy director, starting Jan. 1, 2025!

A distinguished neuroscientist, Potthoff will also hold the title of Harold Hamm Endowed Chair in Clinical Diabetes Research and professor of biochemistry and physiology, with a secondary appointment in the division of neurology in the OU College of Medicine.

Learn more about Dr. Potthoff, here:

The Harold Hamm Diabetes Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences will gain a new deputy director, Matthew Potthoff, Ph.D., effective January 1. Potthoff will also hold the title of Harold Hamm Endowed Chair in Clinical Diabetes Research and professor of biochemistry and physiology, with...

13/12/2024

Members of our Board of Advisors recently hosted a successful Fall Open House. Since 2014, this event has served as a “thank you” to our donors, researchers, clinicians, community leaders, and other key supporters. We are grateful for their continued support as we work to find a cure for diabetes!

To learn more about prevention, healthy living and diabetes research, visit www.ouhealth.com/harold-hamm-diabetes-center.

27/11/2024

For more than a decade, we've screened over 1,400 children and adults for Type 1 Diabetes. And as the primary site for screening in Oklahoma, we're excited to see Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet reach a major research milestone — 250,000 people have learned about their risk of T1 Diabetes.

Early detection can help empower individuals to take charge of their health to slow disease progression. Learn more at www.ouhealth.com/harold-hamm-diabetes-center.

25/11/2024

Today, new studies and medicines show potential for delaying the onset of diabetes. This major step brings us closer to finding a cure and helping the over 390,000 adults in Oklahoma who have been diagnosed with diabetes.

If you know a child or are an adult with diabetes, we offer comprehensive care. Learn more at https://www.ouhealth.com/harold-hamm-diabetes-center/diabetes-services