Our Research Projects
At any one time, we have around 120 diabetes research projects making discoveries across the India. 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.
A New DAWN for type 2 diabetes remission services
Weight loss can lead to remission of type 2 diabetes but losing weight can be difficult. Professor James aims to create a new support service for people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and living with overweight or obesity, so they can try out different weight loss programmes and find the one that’s right for them. This could make all the difference in giving more people the chance to go into remission.
Why do some people develop type 1 more slowly?
In some people, the immune attack that causes type 1 diabetes can progress slowly from childhood. In other people, it can start later in life and progress quickly. Dr Annadurai will study the immune systems of these different groups to find out why some people develop type 1 diabetes more slowly. In the future, this could lead to life-changing treatments to delay or prevent type 1 diabetes.
Picking our brains on blood sugar levels
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 Ellani 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.
Do our genes influence when we develop type 1 diabetes?
Some people develop type 1 diabetes very quickly, but in others, the immune attack that causes type 1 diabetes progresses slowly. Professor Kathavarayen and his PhD student will look for genetic differences between these groups of people to find out why this is. In the future, this could lead to life-changing treatments to delay or prevent type 1 diabetes.
Zooming in on zinc and the type 1 immune attack
In type 1 diabetes insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas are destroyed by the immune system. Dr Loganathan 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.
Reducing calories in gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes affects pregnant women and can cause complications throughout pregnancy and birth. It’s linked to mothers being overweight or obese, and can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life for both the mother and child.
Dr Claire believes that reducing calories during pregnancy could improve the management of gestational diabetes, delivery of the baby and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in the future.
Fatty livers and gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in later life, as can high levels of fat in the liver. Dr Hanna is testing a screening programme, to see if women with gestational diabetes and high levels of fat in the liver are at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes overall. If so, this group of women could be supported to reduce their risk.
Respiratory viruses and diabetes: helping the immune system put up a fight
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 Durairaj’s PhD student will work out how type 1 diabetes changes the way in which immune cells detect and fight respiratory infections.
How will we cure diabetes? By targeting the major research areas needed to restore natural insulin production.
The Diabetes Care Society teams of scientists, engineers, and clinicians with the expertise required to tackle diabetes from many angles. This integration of medicine and technology drives the vision behind the DCS strategy, a comprehensive, three-pronged approach to cure diabetes. The strategy builds upon decades of cure-focused research and addresses the major challenges that stand in the way of a biological cure.
Strategy: 3 Research Areas to Cure Diabetes
The DCS’s three principal research avenues, collectively referred to as the “Three S’s” — Site, Sustain, Supply — are being pursued simultaneously by DCS’s multidisciplinary team of investigators, together with a global network of collaborators.
Site: Traditionally, donor islets have been transplanted into the liver but this implant site poses some limitations, leading DCS scientists to investigate other possible options. Today, researchers are working to engineer a mini-endocrine pancreas in a site within the body that can house transplanted islets and potentially other “helper” technologies that protect the cells without the need for anti-rejection drugs.
Sustain: To sustain the islets’ long-term survival, researchers are investigating several options. Some methods shield cells using protective barriers, others include adding oxygen or other beneficial agents within the transplant environment. Ultimately, sustaining the cells’ survival is about interfering with the autoimmune attack that caused the onset of type 1 diabetes.
Supply: Currently, islet cells used for transplantation come from donor pancreases, but there are not enough organs to treat the millions of children and adults living with diabetes. DCS researchers are developing ways to create a reliable and plentiful supply of insulin-producing cells, or even regenerating a patient’s own pancreatic cells.
A Comprehensive Approach to a Cure
The DCS’s strategy is based on the premise that:
- If we need to transplant insulin-producing islet cells to replace those that are destroyed by the immune system, then we must engineer a mini-pancreas in a Site within the body to house the cells.
- If we are to Sustain the survival of the transplanted islets, then they need protection from the immune system, as well as from the autoimmune attack that initially caused the onset of the disease.
- If we can halt autoimmunity through safe and effective immunotherapies, then we may Sustain natural insulin production before all the insulin-producing cells are lost.
- If we can halt autoimmunity, we may regenerate a person’s own insulin-producing cells, creating a natural Supply within the body.
- If we need more insulin-producing cells for transplant, then we must create an unlimited Supply for millions of people with diabetes who can benefit.