Description of Project
People with T1D constantly struggle to balance the short-term risks of hypoglycemia against the avoidance of long-term end-organ complications. Modern insulin pumps and glucose sensors have dramatically improved this challenge, but less than half of persons meet their target HbA1c. Current treatment strategies assume that glucose per se drives complications. However, T1D also disrupts lipid (fat) and amino acid (protein) metabolism, as well as glucose (carbohydrate) metabolism. Thus, there is a strong need for a comprehensive definition of T1D metabolism as related to JDRF’s Research Priorities: 1) restoration of ß-cell function; 2) susceptibility to hypoglycemia with the use of advanced diabetes technologies; 3) the risk of chronic complications; and 4) to determine how metabolic disruption contributes to the psychosocial stress and cognition of persons with T1D. The “JDRF & M-Diabetes Center of Excellence at the University of Michigan” will determine for the first time the full scope of metabolic dysfunction on multiple organs, with the goal of developing patient-specific treatments to stabilize the individual’s health. We will integrate tissue-specific damage with specimens from blood, urine, and vitreous fluids, and kidney and nerve biopsies. This approach will provide a comprehensive understanding of how genes and metabolites influence the health of ß cells, the ability to control glucose levels with pumps, how to avoid complications, and psychosocial health and cognition of person with T1D.
The Center of Excellence will achieve the goals because we have a dedicated, experienced T1D research team with a robust history of collaboration, uniquely combined with the patient samples, technical skills and tools, and passion. We also have very strong institutional commitment and share JDRF’s determination to move translational research to individual patients and the T1D Community in alliance with long-term academic and private partners nationally and internationally.