How high-sugar diets change metabolism and trigger early diabetes
Investigating metabolic responses to high sugar diets and the onset of diabetic phenotypes
This project looks at how eating a lot of sugar interacts with genes to change metabolism and may lead to early type 2 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Trustees of Indiana University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bloomington, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11129825 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use genome-wide and multi-omics lab techniques to track how genes and metabolic pathways respond to high-sugar diets across organs like the pancreas, liver, muscle, fat, and brain. The team will work mainly with animal models and tissue-specific experiments, then apply bioinformatics to map gene-by-diet interactions. By comparing many genes and tissues at once, they aim to find the earliest molecular changes that lead to diabetic features. Those findings could point to tissue-specific targets for prevention or early treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults at risk for type 2 diabetes or with prediabetes would be the most relevant group for future related human studies or sample donation.
Not a fit: People with type 1 diabetes or those seeking an immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to get direct benefit from this lab-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal specific gene-diet mechanisms that cause early type 2 diabetes and suggest new prevention strategies or drug targets.
How similar studies have performed: Past genetic and metabolic studies have provided important clues, but comprehensive tissue-specific, genome-wide gene-by-diet multi-omics approaches are relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Bloomington, United States
- Trustees of Indiana University — Bloomington, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tennessen, Jason Michael — Trustees of Indiana University
- Study coordinator: Tennessen, Jason Michael
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 below.