Our research projects

Autoantibodies are signs in the blood that show the immune system has started to plan an attack on insulin-making beta cells. People who have autoantibodies will almost certainly go on to develop type 1 diabetes. Dr Rachel Besser wants to make a list of everyone in the UK who has autoantibodies. This registry could help researchers to understand what life is like knowing you’re at risk of type 1, as well as connect people at risk with clinical trials testing new treatments that could prevent or delay type 1 diabetes, helping to bring forward the day when they become more widely available.

Diabetes can cause many complications including foot ulcers. These can lead to a significantly higher risk of heart attacks, strokes and a shortened lifespan. Professor Khunti and his team are researching the best way to reduce these so that people with diabetes and foot ulcers can have healthier and longer lives. 

In type 1 diabetes the immune system attacks and destroy insulin-making cells in the pancreas. But researchers don’t know why the immune system attacks in this way. Professor Noel Morgan plans to test the proteins known as SIRPα and CD47 which kick into action when beta cells are being destroyed. 

Some people with diabetes go on to develop problems with the nerves in their feet. This is known as peripheral neuropathy and can affect safe driving. Professor Marple-Horvat is investigating if a driving stimulator and feedback system can help people with peripheral neuropathy get back to driving safely again, and keep their independence.

Insulin-making beta cells in people with type 2 diabetes can stop working properly due to toxic molecules. Dr Catherine Arden wants to explore what causes this by measuring what happens when sugar and fat are added to beta cells. Understanding more about this process will help researchers to develop new treatments that can prevent damage to beta cells. This could slow down the progression of type 2 diabetes and reduce the risk of complications for people living with type 2 diabetes. 

Weight gain is an important risk factor for type 2 diabetes. A lot of research studies focus on what’s happening inside fat cells to try and explain why insulin no longer works properly. Dr Kang now plans to study what’s happening just outside fat cells to find more answers and a better understanding about the link between weight gain and type 2 diabetes. 

Lots of people with type 2 diabetes take a drug called metformin, but it’s not suitable for everyone. Another type of drug, called salicylate, works in a similar way to metformin. Professor Graham Rena will unpick how salicylate works, to figure out if it could be used as an alternative to metformin. This could mean more people with type 2 diabetes will have access to medications to help manage their condition and lower their risk of complications.

Beta cells have the job of making insulin, but when they’re overworked in people living with type 2 diabetes, they start to burn out. Professor Nigel Irwin is exploring a new treatment that hopes to help beta cells recharge, so they carry on making enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels on an even keel.

Transplants of insulin-producing beta cells from donors into people with type 1 diabetes, called ‘islet transplants’, have been shown to temporarily remove the need for insulin injections in many cases. However, there aren’t enough beta cells available for everyone who needs a transplant. Dr Elisa De Franco wants to find the genes that control the development of beta cells, by studying babies born with neonatal diabetes, to see if these genes could be used to make beta cells in the lab.

Severe insulin resistance is a key feature of a rare form of diabetes, caused by genetic changes which affects the structure of the insulin receptor. Dr Gemma Brierley will explore whether antibodies can be redesigned to improve the function of the insulin receptor. This research could improve our understanding of how a rare form of diabetes develops and and lead to life-saving new treatments.