Why some teens develop type 2 diabetes during puberty

Assessing Diabetes Risk Origins in Teens (ADROIT)

NIH-funded research Children's Hosp of Philadelphia · NIH-11285322

This project follows children through puberty to find what makes some develop type 2 diabetes while others keep normal blood sugar.

Quick facts

Grant typeU01 cooperative agreement
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionChildren's Hosp of Philadelphia NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Philadelphia, United States)
Project IDNIH-11285322 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would be followed over time through the teen years with regular clinic visits and tests to track blood sugar, insulin, and body measurements. Researchers will collect blood samples and other health measures and ask about behavior, mood, and social factors to see how these relate to diabetes risk. The study compares boys and girls and looks at differences across communities to understand who is most likely to progress from normal blood sugar to prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. The goal is to map the timeline and biological changes during puberty that lead to youth-onset type 2 diabetes.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Children entering or going through puberty—especially those with higher BMI, family history of diabetes, or other risk factors—are the ideal candidates.

Not a fit: Adults with long-standing type 2 diabetes or children who are not in the pubertal age range are unlikely to benefit directly from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the study could help spot early warning signs and guide prevention efforts to keep teens from developing type 2 diabetes.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research shows puberty raises insulin resistance and that obesity increases diabetes risk, but this study aims to fill gaps about the exact timing and mechanisms that lead some youth to develop type 2 diabetes.

Where this research is happening

Philadelphia, United States

Researchers

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 below.
Conditions Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus
Last reviewed 2026-06-09 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.