The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and NCATS support the development and validation of human tissue chips that closely mimic the normal physiology of key metabolic tissues, including the pancreatic islet, liver, skeletal muscle and white adipose tissue. Ultimately, the goal is to combine the human metabolically active tissue chips with immune system components to develop a fully integrated model of immune-mediated metabolic dysfunction, as a first step toward the generation of in vitro models for human type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases.
These projects are funded by NIDDK with additional support from NCATS:
- Modeling Diabetes Using an Integrated Plate System
- Microphysiological Systems to Interrogate the Islet-Liver-Adipose Axis in Normal Physiology and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
- Human Microphysiology Systems Disease Model of Type 2 Diabetes Starting with Liver and Pancreatic Cells
A bioreactor that is able to generate four microphysiological joint organs, including bone, cartilage, synovium and fat. (Hang Lin & Rocky Tuan/University of Pittsburgh Photo)
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Modeling Diabetes Using an Integrated Plate System
Principal Investigators: James M. Wells, Ph.D., and Moo-Yeal Lee, Ph.D.
Grant Number: 1-UG3-DK119982-01
Most cases of diabetes are associated with obesity, and the most effective treatment for type 2 diabetes is gastric bypass surgery. But how this surgery improves and reverses diabetes is not clearly understood. Currently, there are no human models of the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas or liver to develop and test new treatments for diabetes. The goal of this project is to develop an integrated tissue chip system that has human intestinal, liver and pancreatic cells made from human stem cells. This system would help researchers studying how these organs function and interact with one another and would aid development and evaluation of new treatments for type 2 diabetes.
Learn more about this project in NIH RePORTER.
University of California Berkeley
Microphysiological Systems to Interrogate the Islet-Liver-Adipose Axis in Normal Physiology and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Principal Investigators: Andreas Stahl, Ph.D., Kevin Edward Healy, Ph.D., Matthias Hebrok, Ph.D., Edward C. Hsiao, M.D., Ph.D., and Holger Willenbring, M.D., Ph.D.
Grant Number: 1-UG3-DK120004-01
Type 2 diabetes mellitus and a related condition, insulin resistance, are increasing worldwide, but discovery of treatments for type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance has been slow. This is partly due to a lack of good human models to study the tissues involved and how they interact and to develop treatments. The goal of this project is to develop human liver, fat, pancreas and immune cells from human stem cells. These tissues will be combined on tissue chips that simulate how the cells interact with each other when healthy and when diseased. This technology could also be used to speed up development and testing of new treatments for diabetes and obesity.
Learn more about this project in NIH RePORTER.
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Human Microphysiology Systems Disease Model of Type 2 Diabetes Starting with Liver and Pancreatic Cells
Principal Investigator: Taylor D. Lansing, Ph.D.
Grant Number: 1-UG3-DK119973-01
The liver and pancreas both play a role in type 2 diabetes. It is now possible to make tissue chips with liver and pancreas cells that are derived from human stem cells. This research team seeks to use these tissue chip models of the liver and pancreas to better understand type 2 diabetes and how it progresses. These models could also be used to develop treatments to prevent, reverse or lessen the effects of diabetes and its complications.