Calcium flow in pancreatic islets and its impact on diabetes
Official title: Calcium Extrusion in the Context of Pancreatic Islet Function and Dysfunction
Funded at Vanderbilt University · NIH-11397338 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project studies how calcium movement in pancreatic islet cells affects insulin and glucagon release in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 20, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $631,259 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK144192-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397338 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes where islet calcium regulation may be implicated, who are able to participate in related mechanistic studies.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without type 2 diabetes or without interest in cellular studies of islet calcium may not benefit.
What this research studies
If you have type 2 diabetes, your islet cells may struggle with calcium handling that controls hormone release. Researchers will examine how PMCA1 and NCX1 proteins regulate calcium levels inside beta and alpha cells and how this changes insulin and glucagon secretion under normal and diabetic conditions. The work uses laboratory models and cellular studies to understand how altered calcium extrusion could worsen blood sugar control in diabetes. Findings could point toward new ways to stabilize hormone release and improve glucose management.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of calcium mechanisms could lead to new strategies to improve blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that manipulating calcium-transporting proteins can alter islet hormone secretion, with promising but early findings.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jacobson, David Aaron — Vanderbilt University
- Study coordinator: Jacobson, David Aaron
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.