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The mission at the American Diabetes Association's Research Foundation is to ensure the availability of funds necessary for the full exploration of all the scientific possibilities that diabetes research is generating.

Last year, the Association's Research Foundation committed $34.1 million nationwide to research projects. Currently, we are funding more than $2.4 million for research in Illinois.

A few noteworthy Association discoveries include: invention of the first glucose meter, introduction of more effective forms of insulin, laser treatments to prevent blindness and invention of the portable insulin pump. 

Thanks to this research, key discoveries have been made that make life better for those living with diabetes.

For more information or to make a donation towards our research efforts, please contact Simintha Esson, Associate Director at SEsson@diabetes.org.

Meet our 2013 Locally Funded Researchers

Jose Oberholzer, MD (University of Illinois - Chicago)
Microfluidic-based strategies for hypoxia preconditioning of microencapsulated human islets for transplantation
General Research Subject: Type 1 Diabetes
Focus: Immunology, Islet Biology, Islet Biology/Apoptosis, Transpalantation. Islet transplantation is a promising therapy for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). However, current clinical trials have shown that an obstacle to widespread implementation is lack of islet for transplantation and long-term immunosuppression for graft maintenance. One promising strategy is the microencapsulation of islets. This study seeks an understanding of functioning of microencapsulated human islets under normal conditions and stressed low oxygen conditions in order to develop strategies to improve microencapsulation as a clinical avenue.

Read more about this Research Study here.

J. Michael O'Donnell, MD (University of Illinois - Chicago)
13C NMR studies of lipoprotein metabolism in diabetes cardiomyopathy
General Research Subject: Type 2 Diabetes
Focus: Diabetic Dyslipidemia, Integrated Physiology/Fatty Acid Metabolism, Integrated Physiology/Muscle. Diabetes cardiomyopathy is a clinical myocardial condition characterized by heart dysfunction. It is the major cause of death in diabetes, and accounts for some 50% of all fatalities. In diabetes, fat uptake into the heart increases significantly, and it accumulates in the cells as large droplets. Too much fat results in both high levels of toxic molecules and a loss in force production. The knowledge of why fats accumulate in the heart may provide insight into novel therapies for treatment of heart disease in diabetes.

Read more about this Research Study here.

Louis Philipson, MD, PhD (The University of Chicago)
National center for monogenic diabetes
General Research Subject: Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
Focus: Clinical Therapeutics/New Technology/Pharmacologic Treatment of Diabetes or its Complications, Genetics/Type 1 Diabetes,Genetics/Type 2 Diabetes. The goal of this study is to increase the knowledge of the monogenic form of diabetes. This will be accomplished through the Monogenic Diabetes Registry that will lead to improved diagnosis and treament, a better understanding of disease pathophysicology and prognosis, and the identification of new genes. These studies will change the standard of care for patients with diabetes lending to improved clinical outcomes and better quality of life. 

Read more about this Research Study here.

Ishwar Radhakrishnan, PhD (Northwestern University)
Transcription Regulation of Gluconeogenic Genes by CREB/ATF and TORC Factors
General Research Subject: Type 2 Diabetes
Focus: Signal Transduction (Non-Insulin Action). Dr. Radhakrishnan's research project can help find a way to manage diabetes. Detailed knowledge of how proteins interact at the molecular level have been vital to drug development programs both in the pharmaceutical industry as well as in the academia. This research could have a direct bearing on the discovery of compounds that block relevant protein-protein interactions and help regulate glucose levels in the body.

Read more about this Research Study here.

Joanne Kramer Tobacman, MD (University of Illinois - Chicago)
Role of common food additive carrageenan in etiology of Type 2 diabetes
General Research Subject:  Type 2 Diabetes
Focus: Insulin Action/Insulin Resistance, Insulin Action/Signal Transduction, Nutrition-Clinical. This project covers the relationship between intake of the common food additive carrageenan and the development of glucose intolerance. By attention to the impact of a specific, common dietary ingredient, new interventions to prevent and treat diabetes may be developed.

Read more about this Research Study here.

Shunbin Xu, PhD (Rush University Medical Center - Chicago)
microRNA- 146 in Diabetic Retinopathy
General Research Subject: Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
Focus: Complications, Complications/Ocular, Signal Transduction (Non-Insulin Action), Signal Transduction (Non-Insulin Action)/ Cytokines and Apoptosis, Signal Transduction (Non-Insulin Action)/Transscriptional Regulation. This research aims to prove miR-146 is involved in the genesis of diabetic retinopahy, and is a new therapeutic target for the treatment of early diabetic retinopathy. Therefore, this research may lead to new drug development for treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

Read more about this Research Study here.

Guoxing Zheng, PhD (University of Illinois - Rockford)
Obesity-induced autoimmune T cells
General Research Subject: Obesity
Focus: Immunology. This project focuses on a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes: obesity. Specifically, it aims to understand how obesity can lead to diabetes by investigating the possible mediating role of fat-induced T cells.

Read more about this Research Study here.

Top 5 Things to Know About the Association's Research:

1. We have the most comprehensive diabetes research grants program in the country.
2. Over the years, the Association has invested more than $550 million in diabetes research and provided funding for more than 4,000 research projects.
3. 100 percent of all allocated gifts to support diabetes research are used only to support research.
4. For all donations $50,000 or above, donors can select the specific research project that they would like to fund.
5. According to the 2002-2007 Research Program Assessment, 97 percent of researchers supported by the Association continued their careers in diabetes research.

To learn about the Association's nationally funded research, visit: http://www.diabetes.org/news-research/research/.

For more information or to make a donation towards our research efforts, please contact Simintha Esson, Director at SEsson@diabetes.org.