A platform for delivering regenerative drugs specifically to pancreatic beta cells
Official title: Developing A Platform Technology For β-Cell-Targeted Drug Delivery
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11576748 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new method aims to safely deliver regenerative drugs directly to beta cells in people with brittle diabetes to help restore insulin production.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $552,414 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DK136965-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11576748 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with Type 1 diabetes and significant beta-cell loss who may benefit from beta-cell regeneration.
✕Less likely to help
People without beta-cell loss or those unable to tolerate the proposed therapies may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project develops a prodrug system that becomes active only inside beta cells, reducing the risk of unintended cell growth elsewhere. It combines advances in targeted drug delivery with beta-cell biology to create a selective treatment approach. If successful, it could lead to therapies that expand beta-cell mass and improve insulin capacity for people with Type 1 diabetes who have brittle diabetes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could gain better insulin production and potentially improved blood glucose control.
How similar studies have gone: Other beta-cell proliferative strategies exist, but achieving selective beta-cell activation remains challenging and this approach aims to overcome that hurdle.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Annes, Justin Pierce — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Annes, Justin Pierce
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.