The Amaranth Diabetes Foundation, Inc. is an integral part of the global effort to stop the spread of diabetes. The Foundation Board selects the American Diabetes Association®—sponsored research projects conducted by the following scientists:
Judith Agudo, PhD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Harnessing immune privilege mechanisms from stem cells to protect beta-cells from immune attack
The goal of this project is to develop strategies to ensure the survival of transplanted or regenerated beta-cells, by allowing them to effectively and safely cloak from immune cells. (Grant funded through 6/30/2025)
Megan L. Baker, PhD
Yale University
Cellular and molecular characterization of human diabetic kidney disease
Kidney disease caused by diabetes, or diabetic kidney disease (DKD), is the leading cause of end stage kidney disease requiring dialysis. This project focuses on investigating the progression of diabetic kidney disease, aiming to unravel the mechanisms leading to kidney failure. The goal is to develop treatments that specifically target these identified pathways, thereby altering the natural course of the disease. Ultimately, this project holds the potential to contribute significantly towards the prevention and treatment of diabetic kidney disease by offering insights into novel therapeutic targets. (Grant funded through June 30, 2027)
Lisa R. Beutler, MD, PhD
Northwestern University Medical School
Dissecting sugar-induced modulation of gut-brain circuits
Despite its clear link to metabolic disease, very little is known about how a high-sugar diet alters the dynamics of this communication. This project will monitor the activity of several neural populations critical for normal feeding and glucose balance in mice before and after a high-sugar diet. These experiments will enhance understanding of how nutrition impacts brain function, determine how this goes awry during the development of obesity and diabetes, and identify neural targets for preventing and treating these diseases. As a physician-scientist it is my goal to lead interdisciplinary groups to pioneer circuit-based therapies for metabolic diseases. (Grant funded through December 30, 2027)
William Gee Chang, MD, PhD
Yale University School of Medicine
Micro vessels-on-a-chip to model diabetic microangiopathy and to advance precision medicine in diabetes
Diabetes results in hyperglycemia that damages micro vessels throughout the body. This is known as diabetic microangiopathy and can lead to dysfunction of multiple organs including the brain, eyes, heart, kidneys, and nerves. This study will increase understanding of the biological processes driving diabetic small vessel disease, generate new biomarkers to track disease, and establish a platform to potentially test new therapeutics. (Grant funded through June 30, 2025)
Howard William Davidson, PhD
University of Colorado Denver
A high throughput test predicting future beta cell loss in subjects with recent onset T1D
The rate at which insulin producing cells are lost (progression) in someone with type 1 diabetes varies considerably between individuals. This makes it difficult to accurately determine if someone has actually benefitted from treatment with an experimental drug in a clinical trial; naturally slow progressors can be mistaken for “responders,” while slowed progression (and benefit) in someone who would otherwise be a fast progressor may be missed. As proteins and genes provide complementary information, we believe that testing both together will provide a much more accurate and precise test and overcome the limitations of those currently available. (Grant partially funded through 6/30/2025)
