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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.

108 results found

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Research Area
Region
Subject

The tiny biological scaffolding with big potential to heal wounds

Project:
Hull
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Northern & Yorkshire
Type 1 and Type 2
Complications
Project Summary

Around 20-30% of people living with diabetes have problems with wounds that fail to heal, which can lead to serious health problems. Dr Hiebert’s team want to understand how a new type of biological scaffolding, which supports cells and tissues in the body, could be used to help wounds heal better and faster. This treatment could prevent people with diabetes from experiencing the serious complications of wounds that don’t heal. 

Could antidepressants help beta cells to survive and thrive?

Project:
London
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Type 1
Type 2
Type 1 and Type 2
London
England
Prevention
Towards a cure
Project Summary

Antidepressant drugs have been found to help lower blood sugar levels in people living with type 2 diabetes and depression. Dr Liu’s team want to explore whether the drugs can protect insulin-producing beta cells, and how they do this. In the future, this could help scientists to repurpose antidepressants to open the door to new ways to treat type 1 or type 2 diabetes. 

The brain chemistry of type 2 diabetes and obesity

Project:
Scotland
Status:
Project has less than a year to run, but can still be adopted
Tags:
Type 2
Scotland
Prevention
Causes
Project Summary

Proteins, called GPCRs, play a role in controlling appetite and blood sugar levels. Dr Thompson wants to understand how the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes changes GPCR chemistry in the brain. Knowing this could help scientists to develop treatments that act on GPCRs to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes, giving people living with or at risk of these conditions new, urgently needed treatment options.

Scar treatment for the pancreas

Project:
Newcastle
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Other
Northern & Yorkshire
England
Towards a cure
Project Summary

Type 3c diabetes develops because of damage to the pancreas. It often goes misdiagnosed and there’s no tailored treatment or care for people living with it. Professor James Shaw is testing existing drugs to see if they could help to repair the pancreas and boost insulin production. This research could pave the way for more effective treatments, helping those with type 3c diabetes better manage their blood sugar levels.

Growing stem cells into beta cells for transplants

Project:
London
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Type 1
Towards a cure
London
England
Project Summary

A potential transformative treatment for type 1 diabetes is to replace insulin-making beta cells that have been destroyed with new ones, so that people can make their own insulin again. Professor Shanta Persaud is testing a new and improved method to grow new beta cells in the lab from stem cells. Having an unlimited supply of lab-made beta cells would bring us closer to a cure for type 1 diabetes, and this project could see us get there sooner. 

A Marvellous new approach to tackle retinopathy

Project:
London
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Type 1 and Type 2
Complications
Innovation
London
Partnership
Project Summary

High blood sugar levels can lead to damage to our eyes, known as retinopathy. Professor Karl Matter thinks that a protein called MarvelD3, which helps cells to stick together in blood vessels, might hold some answers. His research could give us valuable new insights to help develop innovative approaches to protect blood vessels and prevent sight loss in people with diabetes.

Fat cells to find new type 2 clues

Project:
Glasgow
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Type 2
Scotland
Prevention
Innovation
Project Summary

Researching fat cells provides a chance to better understand the link between insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. A substance in the blood called ADMA changes how fat cells work. Dr Salt is going to compare ADMA in fat cells of humans and mice to understand why this happens. This could open the door to new ways of preventing or treating type 2 diabetes. 

Ironing out the details of diabetes and dementia

Project:
Dundee
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Type 2
Scotland
Towards a cure
Causes
Innovation
Project Summary

Type 2 diabetes is linked to a higher risk of dementia. Dr Fiona McLean wants to investigate whether a build-up of iron in the brain caused by high blood sugar levels could be responsible. By untangling these links, Dr McLean’s research could help scientists to develop urgently needed new treatments that can improve the lives of people with diabetes and reduce the risk of the devastating effects of dementia.

Breaking down barriers to diabetes tech for young people with type 1

Project:
Southport
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Type 1
North West
Healthcare
England
Project Summary

Access to diabetes technology isn’t the same for everyone living with type 1. Prof May Ng wants to explore how ethnicity and where people live can affect whether children and young people use tech. Finding and addressing unfair gaps in accessing tech will help all young people to manage their diabetes better, no matter their background. 

Getting to the heart of diabetes in pregnancy

Project:
London
Status:
Project available for adoption
Tags:
Type 1 and Type 2
London
Pregnancy
Healthcare
England
Project Summary

Pregnant women with diabetes have a higher chance of their babies being born with heart problems. Dr Chivers is researching the factors that can cause this and also better ways of working out which babies are at greatest risk. In the future, this could help give better care to pregnant women with diabetes and their babies. 

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