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Our research projects

We fund world-class diabetes research

At any one time, we have around 120 diabetes research projects making discoveries across the UK. Each of these research projects is only possible thanks to the generous support of our members, donors and local groups

Every research project is reviewed by experts and approved by our research committee and our panel of people living with diabetes. So you're supporting diabetes research of the highest scientific quality, led by researchers with the skills and experience to succeed.

Your support of our research projects means we can keep tackling the complications of diabetes and bring us one step closer to a cure.

Find a research project

Use the search tool to discover research taking place in your local area, or choose a subject or type of diabetes you’re interested in.

Each project page showcases the details of the research, and if you find a research project you could really get behind, you can support it in lots of different ways.

83 results found

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Swapping Beta Cells for Alpha Cells to Treat Type 2 Diabetes

Project:
Oxford
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Type 2
England - South East
Project Summary

As type 2 diabetes develops, alpha cells in the pancreas fail. Professor Hodson has found that a protein called GC plays a key role in how alpha cells function. He will run experiments to figure out how the loss of GC impacts why alpha cells go wrong in type 2 diabetes. In the future, this could lead to new treatments for type 2 diabetes that help to keep alpha cells working and give people better blood sugar control. 

‘Long life’ protein to protect the hearts of people with diabetes

Project:
Bristol
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
England - South West
Project Summary

People with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing heart problems. Professor Madeddu plans to develop a new treatment, called a protein therapy, which will deliver a protein, that’s been found to help protect heart health. He’ll find out if the therapy can help cells to make more of this ‘longevity’ protein, to help prevent heart problems. This could lead to new treatments that protect people with diabetes from potentially life-threatening complications.

Untangling how high blood sugars damage beta cells in type 2 diabetes

Project:
London
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Type 2
London
South East Coast and London
Project Summary

Insulin-making beta cells have recycling centres, called lysosomes, which help to break down waste inside our cells. When someone has type 2 diabetes, this process stops working properly. Dr Aida Martinez-Sanchez wants to investigate why this happens by studying the role a protein called M6PR, plays in controlling how lysosomes in beta cells behave. Understanding this could help researchers to develop better treatments for type 2 diabetes and improve those already available. 

Respiratory viruses and diabetes: helping the immune system put up a fight

Project:
London
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Type 1
London
Healthcare
South East Coast and London
Project Summary

People with diabetes have a higher risk of getting more severe symptoms from common respiratory viruses, such as the common cold and flu, than people without diabetes. But we don’t yet understand why the immune systems of people with diabetes are less efficient at dealing with respiratory viruses, and why high blood sugars are linked to increased chance of severe symptoms. Dr Dominguez-Villar’s PhD student will work out how type 1 diabetes changes the way in which immune cells detect and fight respiratory infections.  

Picking our brains on blood sugar levels

Project:
Exeter - South West
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Type 1
Hypos
Type 1 and Type 2
Healthcare
South West and South Central
Project Summary

Our brain plays an important role in assessing whether our blood sugar levels are too high or too low, so our body can bring them back into a safe range. Dr Ellacott wants to focus on a type of brain cell, called the astrocyte, to figure out they’re involved in sensing blood glucose levels. This could help us develop new treatments that target astrocytes to help people with diabetes avoid dangerous blood sugar levels.

One key, many locks – understanding why insulin doesn’t always bring down blood sugar

Project:
York
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
England - Northern & Yorkshire
Type 1 and Type 2
Innovation
Healthcare
Project Summary

Sometimes insulin can cause cells to multiply rather than bringing down blood sugar levels. This can increase the risk of some cancers in people with diabetes. Prof Nia Bryant wants to better understand how and why insulin can have this effect. With her PhD student, she will pinpoint the specific areas on cells that causes insulin to lower blood sugars and not to tell cells to multiply. In the future, this could help scientists develop new treatments for people with diabetes that aren’t linked with an increased risk of cancer.

Seeing type 2 diabetes in 3D

Project:
Manchester
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Type 2
England - North West
Prevention
Innovation
Project Summary

We know that a person’s genetic makeup is important in type 2 diabetes but we don’t know exactly how they’re linked. Dr Jennings is going to study genes related to beta cell and pancreas development and the 3D switches that control them. This will give us a better understanding of why type 2 diabetes develops, which could lead to new therapies to prevent and treat it. 

Cracking genetic codes of type 2 diabetes and depression

Project:
Guildford
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Type 2
England - South East
Innovation
Healthcare
Project Summary

People with type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop depression. This could in part be down to our genes. Professor Prokopenko plans to study changes in the GLP-1R gene and look at if and how the gene could increase the risk of both type 2 diabetes and depression. If the shared genes affect the development of both conditions it could lead to improved medications that work to treat both conditions. 

Zooming in on zinc and the type 1 immune attack

Project:
Bristol
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Type 1
Causes
Innovation
South West and South Central
Project Summary

In type 1 diabetes insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas are destroyed by the immune system. Dr Long will study a specific protein on beta cells that gets attacked, called zinc transporter 8. This could give scientists a better understanding of what’s happening in the immune system when the condition develops and what influences its progression. 

Get Pumped! Strength training to manage type 2 diabetes

Project:
Stirling
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Scotland
Type 2
Healthcare
Project Summary

Resistance, or strength training can help people with type 2 diabetes to improve their blood sugar levels and health. Dr Lewis Macgregor will examine if restricting blood-flow to muscles during resistance exercise can boost its positive effects on the body – making the training more effective when using lighter weights. This could help us to make this type of exercise a more feasible option for more people with type 2 and maximise its benefits on health. 

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