Lab-grown pancreatic organoids to understand type 1 diabetes and treatment responses

Advanced pancreatic-immune organoid models of type 1 diabetes subtypes and therapeutic responses

NIH-funded research Yale University · NIH-11250094

Using patient-derived pancreatic organoids to see why some people with type 1 diabetes respond differently to immune therapies.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionYale University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New Haven, United States)
Project IDNIH-11250094 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Researchers will turn patient cells into induced pluripotent stem cells and grow them into mini pancreatic organoids using automated, high-throughput lab systems. They will compare organoids made from people who progressed differently to type 1 diabetes or who did and did not respond to immune treatments like teplizumab. The team will expose these organoids to immune cells and immune-targeting drugs to look for intrinsic beta cell features linked to progression and treatment response. Findings aim to reveal why therapies work for some patients and not others.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates include people with or at risk for type 1 diabetes who can provide blood or tissue samples or who participated in related clinical trials.

Not a fit: People with long-standing type 1 diabetes who have minimal remaining beta cell function or those unable to provide samples may not get direct benefit.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Could help predict who will benefit from immune therapies and guide treatments that better preserve insulin-producing beta cells.

How similar studies have performed: Immune drugs like teplizumab have shown the ability to delay clinical diabetes, and organoid/iPSC models have been developed before, but applying high-throughput organoid systems to predict individual treatment response is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

New Haven, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Autoimmune DiabetesAutoimmune Diseases
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.