Endocrinology and Diabetology

Complex Operative Unit

Clinical activity

The Complex Operative Unit of Endocrinology and Diabetology carries out clinical activities for the treatment of diabetes, obesity with its complications and other endocrine diseases.

The main clinical services are:

  • Examinations for the clinical framing of endocrine pathologies
  • Prevention and treatment of diabetes and chronic complications
  • Individual and group therapeutic education courses for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes
  • Multidisciplinary examinations for the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian polycystosis in collaboration with the Campus Bio-Medico Hospital Gynaecology Operative Unit
  • Integrated medical approach for the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian polycystosis with specialist endocrinological, gynaecological, dermatological assessment and nutritional counselling in collaboration with the Campus Bio-Medico Hospital Check-up Centre
  • Natural fertility management orientation
  • Prevention and treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome:
    • Metabolic wellness programme: global assessment for the prevention and treatment of people at high cardio-metabolic and cardiovascular risk in collaboration with the Campus Bio-Medico Hospital Check-up Centre
    • Nutritional counselling and motivational interviewing in synergy with pathways aimed at controlling body weight and metabolic disorders
    • Nutritional pathways based on precision medicine and on the global approach of the overweight or obese patient at high cardiovascular risk
    • Prescription of medicalised ketogenic diets for weight loss, metabolic rehabilitation and as an adjunct in the treatment of specialised conditions (e.g. headache/migraine, ovarian polycystosis, hepatic steatosis) or as a pre-operative optimisation approach
    • Preparation for bariatric surgery and postoperative follow-up

The services are provided in agreement with the Italian National Healthcare System or privately, either Intramoenia or at the Tariffa Amica, always on an outpatient basis.

Special cases, such as the study of severe hypoglycaemia and diabetic ketoacidosis, can be treated in normal in-patient care.

Every patient undergoing treatment can use an e-mail service to communicate with healthcare professionals.
The clinicians work in close synergy with the Auxologico Metabolic Research Laboratory. This collaboration ensures that the health workers are constantly updated on the latest scientific evidence for the treatment of metabolic diseases, and that the most advanced diagnostic and therapeutic protocols are used.

Areas of research

Pathogenesis and immunotherapy of type 1 diabetes

  • Use of innovative therapies in protecting residual beta cells at the onset of type 1 diabetes using international immunotherapy protocols. Study of the role of oxidative post-translational modifications (oxPTM) in diabetes autoimmunity
  • Study and validation of the ELISA assay on post-translational modifications (oxPTM) in Latent Autoimmune Diabetes of Adults (LADA)
  • Post-translationally modified insulin as a therapeutic target in type 1 diabetes, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), USA
  • Antibodies against post-translationally modified insulin as a biomarker in type 1 diabetes. European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes (EFSD)/JDRF/Lilly

Type 2 diabetes, obesity and nutrition

  • PRIN 2015, “Pancreatic ß-cell identity, glucose sensing and the control of insulin secretion”
  • Effects of modified hyperglycaemia/insulin on the adipogenic differentiation of mesenchymal cells extracted from the subcutaneous fat of obese and diabetic patients
  • Evaluation of molecular mechanisms of insulin resistance in vitro
  • Treatment of reactive hypoglycaemia with the macrobiotic diet Ma-Pi 2 – The MAHYP Trial
  • Role of the endocannabinoid system in type 2 diabetes, in collaboration with the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research Unit UCBM

Bone and associated diseases (pathophysiological mechanisms of bone fragility in individuals with diabetes, obesity and post-menopausal women)

  • Assessment of bone quality and WNT signalling in obese patients (Grant from the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome)
  • Evaluation of WNT system activation by sclerostin assay in patients with type 2 diabetes and patients with latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA)
  • Assessment of risk factors for bone fragility fractures in type 1 diabetes
  • Evaluation of the role of mechanical loading and WNT signalling on bone marrow adiposity (BMA) and bone formation in type 1 diabetes (in collaboration with the Department of Bone and Mineral Diseases, Washington University of St Louis)

Obesity and nutrition