Pancreas tissue, inflammation, and genes in type 1 diabetes
Uncovering the Interplay Among Pancreatic Tissue Types, Inflammation, and Genotypes in Type 1 Diabetes
This project uses cells from people with type 1 diabetes to grow pancreas tissue and immune cells to learn how genes and inflammation might cause beta cell loss.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11252280 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will collect samples from people with type 1 diabetes to make induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, then grow pancreatic exocrine and endocrine organoids and immune cells from those iPS lines. They will compare gene activity and chromatin accessibility in those tissues under inflammatory conditions, focusing on genetic variants linked to T1D risk. The team will build co-culture tissue assemblies using microcontact printing to mimic how different pancreas tissues interact with immune cells under stress. Spatial transcriptomics will be used to map where changes occur within the multi-tissue assemblies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people with type 1 diabetes who are willing to donate blood or tissue samples for iPS cell generation, especially those with known T1D genetic risk variants.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate new treatments or those with type 2 diabetes are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this laboratory-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal early events and cellular targets that lead to beta cell loss and guide new prevention or treatment strategies for T1D.
How similar studies have performed: Related lab work using patient iPS-derived beta cells and organoids has modeled immune interactions, but combining exocrine-endocrine co-cultures with immune cells and spatial genomics for T1D-risk variants is a relatively new and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Millman, Jeffrey Robert — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Millman, Jeffrey Robert
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.