How the insulin receptor controls cell signals and blood sugar
Official title: The Insulin Receptor and Its Signaling Mechanisms
Funded at Joslin Diabetes Center · NIH-11296313 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at how the insulin receptor and its signaling pathways work in cells and people with type 2 diabetes to help find better ways to treat insulin resistance.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Joslin Diabetes Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 1982 |
| Project end | February 28, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $866,374 |
| NIH project number | 2R01DK031036-44A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11296313 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with type 2 diabetes or clinical insulin resistance, and those willing to provide biological samples or participate in translational studies, would be most relevant.
✕Less likely to help
People with conditions unrelated to insulin signaling or with classic type 1 diabetes caused by autoimmune beta-cell loss may be less likely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
This grant funds lab and translational work on the insulin and IGF-1 receptors to understand how they send signals inside cells and how those signals go wrong in type 2 diabetes. Scientists use mouse genetic models, human iPSC-derived muscle cells, and multi-omic methods (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics) to trace signaling steps from the receptor to gene activity. The team has also explored differences between insulin and IGF-1 signaling and discovered new viral ligands and unoccupied-receptor signaling states. Findings aim to link basic molecular insights to human insulin resistance and identify pathways that could become drug targets.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new targets or approaches to improve insulin sensitivity and treatments for type 2 diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Decades of research have clarified insulin signaling and produced promising molecular leads, while the use of patient-derived iPSC cells and multi-omics is a newer approach that is beginning to yield human-specific insights.
Where this research is happening
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Joslin Diabetes Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kahn, C Ronald — Joslin Diabetes Center
- Study coordinator: Kahn, C Ronald
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.