How insulin changes B immune cells in obesity and type 2 diabetes
Official title: The B Cell Insulin Receptor in Health and in Insulin Resistance
Funded at Buck Institute for Research on Aging · NIH-11237599 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how insulin changes B cells in people with obesity to better understand why insulin stops working and can lead to type 2 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Buck Institute for Research on Aging NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Novato, United States) |
| Project start | December 15, 2021 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $566,346 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK128435-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11237599 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with obesity, prediabetes, or early type 2 diabetes who are willing to give blood or fat tissue samples would be the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without obesity, those with type 1 diabetes, or individuals whose diabetes is driven by unrelated causes may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how B cells (a type of immune cell) respond when insulin binds to their insulin receptor during early and long-term obesity. They will use mouse models and examine samples from people to compare inflammatory signals, antibody production, and blood sugar control over time. The team will test what happens when the insulin receptor on B cells is turned off and will check how immune cells handle infections in the context of obesity. The work aims to link immune changes in fat and liver to the development and progression of insulin resistance.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments that target B cells or their insulin response to prevent or improve insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Animal studies have shown that removing the insulin receptor from B cells can improve blood sugar in mice, but applying this to people is still new and unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Novato, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Winer, Dan — Buck Institute for Research on Aging
- Study coordinator: Winer, Dan
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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.