The Kent Lab is Investigating the Role of Extracellular Vesicles in the Development of Type 1 Diabetes
Date Posted: Friday, September 23, 2022
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a role in intercellular communication, participating in various cellular processes, including immune responses. The role(s) that EVs play in the development of type 1 diabetes remain unclear. Some scientists believe EVs could potentially lead to the discovery of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets. They can also precisely transport bioactive molecules, which could be considered for possible therapies.
UMass Chan Diabetes Center of Excellence Immunologist Sally Kent, PhD, was awarded a Multi-Principal Investigator (MPI) R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) entitled Extracellular Vesicle-mediated islet immune cross-talk in type 1 diabetes pathogenesis.
“This project will examine the function of extracellular vesicles originating directly from the target tissues [islets] in human type 1 diabetes on human islets and immune cell populations and the elucidation of the active peptide contents of these vesicles,” said Dr. Kent. “The goal of these studies is to understand the functional role of target-tissue-derived extracellular vesicles in the pathophysiology of the disease and to provide biomarkers for disease development.”
Dr. Kent is an MPI for this award with colleagues Helena Reijonen, PhD, and Rupangi Vasavada, PhD, at the Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope.