NIH-funded research R01 grant

Understanding How Insulin Works in Diabetes and Insulin Resistance

Official title: Alterations in Post-Receptor Insulin Signaling in Diabetes and Insulin Resistance

Funded at Joslin Diabetes Center · NIH-11127512 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This project aims to understand how insulin and similar hormones send messages inside our cells and what goes wrong in people with diabetes and insulin resistance.

More Diabetes research and trials

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionJoslin Diabetes Center
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Boston, United States)
Project startSeptember 17, 2021
Project endJune 30, 2027
Funding year2025
Award (this year)$592,643
NIH project number5R01DK128429-05
Project IDNIH-11127512 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

This foundational research is relevant to individuals living with adult-onset diabetes mellitus and those experiencing insulin resistance.

Less likely to help

Patients without diabetes or insulin resistance are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific research.

What this research studies

Our bodies use hormones like insulin and IGF-1 to send important signals to cells, affecting how they grow and use energy. For many years, our lab has been working to understand these internal cell messages and how they change when someone has a disease. We have learned a lot about the key steps in this process and how they can be altered in conditions like diabetes. This work helps us build a complete picture of how insulin signals work and where problems might occur, using advanced techniques to look at all the proteins involved.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a deeper understanding of diabetes and insulin resistance, potentially paving the way for new treatments that target the root causes of these conditions.

How similar studies have gone: This project builds upon many years of successful research from the same lab, which has extensively characterized key components of insulin signaling.

Where this research is happening

  • Joslin Diabetes Center
    Boston, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Kahn, C Ronald — Joslin Diabetes Center
  • Study coordinator: Kahn, C Ronald

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

  • PAT4's role in insulin signaling and GLUT4 movement in fat cells

    A study in adults with type 2 diabetes or related insulin resistance will explore how an amino acid transporter, PAT4, helps insulin move glucose transporters to the cell surface in fat cells.

    NIH research Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · New York, United States · NIH-11363425

  • How tiny blood-vessel insulin problems affect fitness in type 2 diabetes

    This project looks at whether problems with insulin’s control of tiny blood vessels make it harder for adults with type 2 diabetes to exercise and whether exercise training can help.

    NIH research University of Colorado Denver · Aurora, UNITED STATES · NIH-11323456

  • How pancreatic alpha cells respond in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes

    This project looks at why pancreatic alpha cells release too much glucagon in adults with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.

    NIH research Veterans Health Administration · Nashville, United States · NIH-11212796

  • Blood metabolite signals that predict insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes

    This work looks for patterns in blood chemicals that show who may develop insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, with attention to African American adults.

    NIH research Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · Boston, United States · NIH-11169931

  • How insulin resistance affects exercise capacity in diabetes

    This study is looking at how insulin resistance affects exercise ability in people with type 2 diabetes, and it hopes to find out if exercise training can help improve insulin function and blood flow, making it easier for you to be active and stay healthy.

    NIH research University of Colorado Denver · Aurora, UNITED STATES · NIH-11085267

  • Reducing high insulin levels and insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes

    This study is looking at how combining different treatments can help people with type 1 diabetes lower their insulin levels and improve how their bodies respond to insulin, all while keeping an eye on heart health.

    NIH research University of California, San Diego · La Jolla, United States · NIH-11079590

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.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 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.