How prediabetes and type 2 diabetes begin in young people
Official title: Pathogenesis of youth onset pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11161546 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether the diabetes medicine liraglutide can protect insulin-making cells and reduce fatty liver in obese youth with early blood sugar problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2016 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $684,085 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK111038-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11161546 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are obese adolescents or young adults with impaired glucose tolerance or early type 2 diabetes, especially those with evidence of fatty liver disease.
✕Less likely to help
People without obesity or early glucose problems, or those with long-standing, insulin-dependent diabetes, are unlikely to benefit from this research.
What this research studies
You would join researchers following groups of obese young people who have early high blood sugar to find out why insulin-producing beta cells fail. The team measures blood sugar responses, insulin sensitivity, gut hormone (incretin) effects, and liver fat using blood tests and imaging. Some participants receive liraglutide while the researchers track changes in beta-cell function and liver steatosis over time. The goal is to link changes in the incretin system, insulin resistance, and NAFLD to the earliest stages of diabetes so better treatments can be developed.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help preserve insulin production and reduce fatty liver, slowing or preventing progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes in young people.
How similar studies have gone: Previous pediatric studies (TODAY and RISE) showed rapid beta-cell decline in youth, and GLP-1 drugs like liraglutide have helped with weight and glucose control in adults and some pediatric work, but using them to preserve beta-cell function and treat NAFLD in youth remains under study.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Caprio, Sonia — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Caprio, Sonia
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Understanding why youth develop type 2 diabetes and how to prevent it
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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.