Muscle-fat cell communication via tiny vesicles in people with prediabetes or diabetes
Official title: Muscle-derived extracellular vesicles and their interactions with adipocytes in human metabolic dysfunction
Funded at University of Kentucky · NIH-11404412 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study to understand how tiny particles released by muscles interact with fat tissue in adults with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kentucky NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lexington, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $262,974 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM156679-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11404412 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 and older with or without prediabetes, willing to undergo exercise and adipose tissue biopsy.
✕Less likely to help
People unable to undergo muscle biopsies or exercise, or those without prediabetes who are not candidates for the metabolic studies, may have no direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project will look at how extracellular vesicles, little bubbles released by muscle cells, affect fat tissue in people who are at risk for or living with metabolic dysfunction. Researchers will recruit adults with or without prediabetes and have them perform a single bout of whole-body resistance exercise to trigger vesicle release, then analyze fat tissue samples from biopsies to see how vesicle uptake and signaling change. The study will use transcriptomics to understand the molecular responses in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, aiming to map how impaired vesicle uptake could contribute to disease progression. Findings could reveal new targets for therapies that improve communication between muscle and fat to help treat obesity and diabetes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify new ways to improve muscle-fat communication and slow or prevent progression from prediabetes to diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary work has shown a muscle-to-adipose EV communication axis that is conserved in mice and humans, supporting potential relevance.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kentucky
Lexington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wen, Yuan — University of Kentucky
- Study coordinator: Wen, Yuan
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.