Project summary
Heart and kidney complications are major contributors to poor health in people with type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes treatments called GLP-1 agonists can help to protect these organs, but we don’t know how. Professor Claire Hills is investigating what’s happening behind the scenes. She's studying how these treatments influence inflammation in the kidney, to understand more. This could reveal new ways to prevent or slow down complications, ultimately improving care and saving lives.
Background to research
People living with type 2 diabetes face a higher risk of long‑term complications, including heart and kidney problems, which can greatly affect their health and quality of life.
High blood sugar levels over time, as well as long‑lasting inflammation in the body – driven by a protein called interleukin‑1 beta – can contribute to this.
Many people with type 2 diabetes are treated with GLP‑1 agonists (GLP‑1s), such as semaglutide. These medicines help control blood sugar but have also been shown to protect the heart and kidneys from inflammation‑related harm. However, we still don’t fully understand how they provide this protection.
Research suggests that some GLP‑1s may block specific inflammatory pathways linked to organ damage in type 2 diabetes. Interleukin‑1 beta can trigger several other harmful proteins, speeding up injury to the kidneys and heart. What we still don’t know is whether semaglutide reduces interleukin‑1 beta and these related proteins in the many different cell types found in and around the kidney.
Research aims
Professor Hills is investigating how and if semaglutide reduces interleukin‑1 beta and other harmful proteins in different kidney cell types, and whether this improves cell health and reduces inflammation.
Professor Hill's team will study three types of cells found in and around the kidney, grown under high sugar and inflammatory conditions similar to those seen in diabetic kidney disease. After treatment with semaglutide, the team will examine if levels of interleukin-1 beta and other harmful proteins change.
They will also look at how and if the treatment affects the way the cells behave and interact with each other.
They’ll then test whether the key ways semaglutide works in cells also happen in mice. This would help show whether the findings could be relevant to people with type 2 diabetes.
Potential benefit to people with diabetes
Heart and kidney problems are devastating and common complications of type 2 diabetes, that often develop side by side. This research could reveal how drugs like semaglutide work inside the body, offering important clues for who could benefit most from them and guiding new ways to prevent complications and improve health outcomes for millions.
