A protein that controls insulin signaling and prevents low blood sugar
Official title: A Novel Nitrosylase Prevents Hypoglycemia and Mediates Insulin Resistance
Funded at Case Western Reserve University · NIH-11249192 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work focuses on a protein called SCAN that may drive insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes and aims to restore normal insulin signaling.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Case Western Reserve University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $506,342 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK137973-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249192 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with type 2 diabetes—especially those with obesity, older adults, or people with steroid-induced insulin resistance—would be the most relevant candidates and may be asked to provide muscle or adipose tissue samples.
✕Less likely to help
People with type 1 diabetes, gestational diabetes, or those without insulin resistance are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
If you have type 2 diabetes, this research studies a protein called SCAN that adds chemical groups to the insulin receptor and its partner IRS1; that change can temporarily lower insulin activity to prevent low blood sugar but when SCAN is overactive—such as in obesity, aging, or steroid use—it may cause insulin resistance. The team measures SCAN and its counterpart SCoR in human skeletal muscle and fat samples, and uses laboratory and animal models to increase or decrease their activity to see how insulin signaling and blood glucose respond. By linking findings from patient tissue to controlled experiments, they plan to test whether lowering SCAN activity or boosting SCoR can restore insulin responsiveness. The goal is to identify a direct molecular target that could lead to new treatments for insulin resistance.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new therapies that directly reduce insulin resistance and improve blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: The SCAN/SCoR mechanism is newly described and targeting it is largely novel, although other approaches to improve insulin sensitivity have been used in prior research.
Where this research is happening
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Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stamler, Jonathan S. — Case Western Reserve University
- Study coordinator: Stamler, Jonathan S.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.