Our Strategy to Prevent or Cure Type 2 Diabetes

UMass researchers are working on a unique approach to treat type 2 diabetes and its complications. We are isolating and greatly expanding specialized cells (called “beige fat cells), obtained from patients, which are now known to alleviate diabetes. This approach is complemented by exciting research to genetically modify these cells to further improve their therapeutic effects. This work has the potential to move into clinical trials and in the near future, have a major impact on this disease. 

The Problem: Type 2 diabetes is a global epidemic.  It leads to heart disease, kidney failure, vision loss and approximately 75,000 amputations each year in the United States.  The cost to our nation is hundreds of billions of dollars annually.  There are 48% more type 2 diabetes patients today than there were in 2007, due to in part the growing rates of obesity.  There are still no fully effective therapies available to prevent or cure T2D.

The Scientific Hurdles:

• Rodents do not replicate human T2D in the lab
• Detailed studies of humans are very difficult or impossible 
• Activating “beige” fat cells in humans MAY alleviate diabetes, HOWEVER they are very difficult to isolate and study in humans
• Type 2 diabetes is a multi-organ disease affecting BOTH insulin secretion by the beta cells of the pancreas AND insulin signaling to its “target tissues” the liver, muscle and body fat. This makes it extremely difficult to determine what causes the disease.

The Unique UMass Approach:

A breakthrough discovery was made at UMass in 2017 showing that rare “beige” cells, known to “attack fat” in our body, could be obtained from humans.  Millions of these beneficial cells can now be produced in the lab, from a single individual.

Small amounts of these human “beige” adipose cells have corrected sugar metabolism when implanted in the UMass “humanized” mice. This paves the way for the strategy of removing “beige” cells from someone with T2D, growing them in the laboratory, then implanting them back into the patient to improve their sugar metabolism.

Beige adipose cells are being developed by UMass researchers for clinical trials. They are working within FDA guidelines for producing and administering these rare and beneficial cells.

UMass has assembled world leading researchers in RNA and gene therapies, and established an Institute for RNA Therapeutics with a Nobel Laureate as one of its leaders. These investigators have developed new techniques for silencing and editing genes.  This allows the scientists to enhance sugar metabolism in beige cells and other tissues affected by diabetes, such as the liver.

Developed new techniques for analyzing genes in single cells of tissues affected by diabetes, such as pancreas, liver and adipose tissues. This allows UMass researchers to target specific genes that are not functioning properly and potentially alter them for diabetes management. 

UMass researchers are investigating what causes proliferation in beta cells.  Rodent (mouse & rat) beta cells can rapidly reproduce and multiply, however human beta cells do not.  The goal is to create more beta cells in people with both type 1 & type 2 diabetes, who have too few beta cells.  These specialized cells in the pancreas produce insulin. Creating new beta cells in a person with diabetes could help to prevent or treat diabetes.