Why mouth wounds heal slowly in people with diabetes
Official title: Epithelial stem cell dysfunction in diabetic oral ulcer
Funded at Indiana University Indianapolis · NIH-11146431 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how diabetes changes the stem cells that repair the mouth lining to find ways to help adults with diabetes heal oral wounds faster.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Indiana University Indianapolis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Indianapolis, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $158,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R03DE033059-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11146431 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with type 2 (adult‑onset) diabetes, especially those who have slow‑healing mouth ulcers or who need oral surgery, would be the most relevant group for future clinical follow‑up based on this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without diabetes, children, or those whose oral problems come from non‑diabetic causes are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific line of research.
What this research studies
From a patient point of view, researchers will study the special stem cells that keep the mouth lining healthy and see how diabetes changes their number, location, and injury response. They will use diabetic mice and lab-grown (3‑D) oral tissue models to watch how these cells behave after injury and to measure proteins that keep the barrier intact. The team will pay special attention to Wnt‑responsive stem cells in the basal layer and factors in the cell environment that diabetes may alter. Findings are meant to point toward targets that could be turned into treatments to improve oral wound healing in people with diabetes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify new targets to speed healing of mouth wounds and reduce complications after dental surgery in people with diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous lab and animal studies have shown diabetes impairs epithelial repair and identified Wnt‑responsive oral stem cells, but translating those findings into proven human treatments remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
-
Indiana University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yuan, Xue — Indiana University Indianapolis
- Study coordinator: Yuan, Xue
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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.