Engineering lab-grown insulin-producing islet-like clusters to help people with diabetes
Official title: Engineering human islet-like organoids to treat diabetes
Funded at Salk Institute for Biological Studies · NIH-11366875 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A researcher team is testing lab-made islet-like organoids that can secrete insulin and survive longer in the body, aiming to treat diabetes without constant immunosuppression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Salk Institute for Biological Studies NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | May 20, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $935,059 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DK144422-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11366875 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with diabetes who could benefit from cell-based therapies, pending future clinical translation and trials.
✕Less likely to help
Early-stage, non-human studies or later-stage trials not yet applicable to individuals may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
Researchers at the Salk Institute are developing human islet-like organoids that mimic natural pancreatic islets to potentially provide a long-term diabetes treatment. They are exploring immune-evasive strategies and immune-modulatory genes to prolong graft survival in animal models, along with drugs that may help insulin sensitivity. The project includes testing targeted immune modulations (like CD47, CD200, and PD-L1) and assessing how these grafts perform under insulin-resistant conditions. The work builds on prior findings that WNT4 improves insulin secretion and that immune-evasive HILOs can survive longer in immune-competent hosts. If successful, this could move toward a durable cellular therapy for diabetes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with diabetes could receive a renewable, immune-protected cell therapy that reduces or eliminates the need for lifelong immunosuppression.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows that HILOs can mimic islets and that immune-evasive strategies can extend graft survival in animals, suggesting this approach is promising but still experimental.
Where this research is happening
-
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Evans, Ronald M — Salk Institute for Biological Studies
- Study coordinator: Evans, Ronald M
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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.