How genes in fat and muscle cells may cause insulin resistance
Official title: Molecular Mechanisms of Insulin Resistance Associated Loci
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11296894 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses human genetics, single-cell profiling, and gene-editing to pinpoint genes in fat and other tissues that contribute to insulin resistance in people at risk for type 2 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $624,935 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK137889-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11296894 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with or at high risk for type 2 diabetes, or those willing to donate tissue or genetic data to research, would be most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients expecting an immediate new therapy would likely not benefit in the short term because this is discovery-focused laboratory and preclinical research.
What this research studies
The team combines large human genetic datasets with tissue-specific gene expression data to find which genetic signals point to real causal genes, with a focus on fat (adipose) tissue as well as muscle, liver, and pancreas. They will use single-cell RNA and ATAC sequencing to see which cell types express those genes and then apply CRISPR perturbations to cells to observe how gene changes alter cell behavior. Viral delivery approaches and animal experiments will be used to study how those gene changes affect whole-body metabolism. Overall the work aims to map gene regulatory networks that drive insulin resistance and point to potential targets for new treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new drug targets and biological pathways to prevent or treat insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous GWAS colocalization and functional genomics efforts have identified some causal genes for metabolic traits, but many loci remain untested and this project applies new single-cell and CRISPR approaches at larger scale.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Knowles, Joshua Wiley — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Knowles, Joshua Wiley
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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.