Improving Drug Delivery to Beta Cells for Diabetes
Developing A Platform Technology For β-Cell-Targeted Drug Delivery
This project is creating a new way to deliver medicines directly to the beta cells in your body, which are important for making insulin, to help them grow and potentially treat Type 1 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11322506 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body loses its insulin-producing beta cells, leading to decreased insulin. Researchers have found powerful molecules that can make human beta cells grow, but these molecules can also affect other cells, which could be unsafe. This project is developing a clever 'prodrug' strategy to ensure these growth-promoting medicines only become active inside beta cells. We are also learning exactly how these prodrugs get activated to make sure the delivery is precise and safe. The goal is to create a robust system for targeted drug delivery that could lead to safer and more effective treatments for Type 1 diabetes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with Type 1 diabetes, particularly those who might benefit from therapies that restore beta cell mass, are the ultimate target for this research.
Not a fit: Patients whose diabetes is not related to beta cell loss or who are not candidates for regenerative therapies may not directly benefit from this specific approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to safer and more effective treatments for Type 1 diabetes by helping the body produce more insulin through targeted beta cell regeneration.
How similar studies have performed: While small molecules that induce beta-cell proliferation have been developed, this specific prodrug strategy for targeted delivery is novel and builds on prior successes in the broader field of targeted drug delivery.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Annes, Justin Pierce — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Annes, Justin Pierce
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.