Using tiny particles from insulin-producing cells to find early signs of type 1 diabetes
Characterization of beta-cell-specific extracellular vesicle cargo as functional biomarkers for type I DM disease
This work looks at small particles released by pancreatic beta cells in blood to find early warning signs of type 1 diabetes for people at risk or with new-onset disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11137018 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You might be asked to give blood so scientists can isolate extracellular vesicles—tiny packets released by beta cells—and study the molecules they carry. Researchers will compare vesicle contents from people with early or recent-onset type 1 diabetes, at-risk relatives, and healthy controls to find patterns linked to beta cell injury. Lab analyses will measure RNAs and proteins inside those vesicles to identify signals that change before symptoms appear. The team aims to develop a blood-based marker that can track disease activity and help enroll the right people in prevention trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with suspected or recent-onset type 1 diabetes, relatives known to be at increased autoimmune risk (for example, autoantibody positive), or volunteers who can provide blood samples for comparison.
Not a fit: People with long-standing type 1 diabetes who no longer have functioning beta cells or patients with non-autoimmune forms of diabetes are less likely to receive direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to a blood test that detects and monitors early beta cell injury in type 1 diabetes, enabling earlier intervention or trial enrollment.
How similar studies have performed: Using extracellular vesicles as disease markers is a relatively new approach with encouraging preliminary findings, but applying beta-cell-specific EV cargo as a reliable early T1D biomarker is still experimental.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Das, Saumya — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Das, Saumya
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.