Project Summary:
In Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), the immune system mistakenly attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As these cells are damaged or lost, the body can no longer regulate blood sugar levels on its own. Although immune-based therapies can help slow the disease, they do not fully protect beta cells, and most people continue to lose the ability to make insulin over time.
Dr. Suzuki’s project focuses on a new way to protect these vulnerable beta cells by reducing a type of cellular “stress” that builds up inside them during the disease process. This stress, called ER stress, makes beta cells weaker and more likely to die. Dr. Suzuki’s lab developed a highly precise small molecule, called PAIR2, that is designed to calm this stress and help beta cells survive. In early studies in diabetic mice, PAIR2 improved blood sugar levels and preserved beta-cell function, even after diabetes had already begun.
Dr. Suzuki will test PAIR2 in both diabetic mice and in a special model where mice receive human islets, allowing him to study how this treatment might help human beta cells as well.
If successful, this approach could lead to new treatments that protect the beta cells people still have, reduce the burden of T1D, and improve long-term blood-sugar control. This research brings us one step closer to therapies that support the body’s own insulin-producing cells and offer a more stable, healthier future for people living with T1D.
