How type 2 diabetes develops in teens
Official title: Understanding and Targeting the Pathophysiology of Youth-onset Type2 Diabetes
Funded at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles · NIH-11286833 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows teenagers at risk for type 2 diabetes through puberty to track blood sugar, insulin, and lifestyle changes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hospital of Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | February 21, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $579,857 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DK134984-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11286833 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are teens aged about 12–20 who are overweight or obese, have a family history of diabetes, signs of insulin resistance or prediabetes, or other risk factors for youth-onset type 2 diabetes.
✕Less likely to help
Younger children, adults outside the 12–20 age range, or people already living with long-standing, advanced type 2 diabetes may not receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You'll join a large and diverse group of 12–20 year olds and come to regular visits as you move through puberty. At each visit you'll have blood tests to measure glucose, insulin, and beta-cell function, body composition checks, and questionnaires about diet, activity, sleep, and social factors. Your samples and health information will be stored in a biobank linked to detailed clinical data to help researchers find early warning signs and risk groups. Families, local clinicians, and central stakeholders will help shape how the project is run and how results are shared back to the community.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify early warning signs and help tailor prevention or early treatment to keep teens from developing type 2 diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Prior observational and prevention efforts in youth have identified risk factors and benefit from lifestyle change, but this large-scale, long-term deep phenotyping and linked biobank approach is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goran, Michael Isaac — Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Goran, Michael Isaac
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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.