“It’s an optimistic time for people with type 1” – Morgan Shaw, a Grand Challenge researcher who has type 1
February 1, 2024
Research Technician Morgan Shaw has type 1 diabetes and is working in Dr James Cantley’s lab at the University of Dundee, which is funded by his Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge Senior Research Fellowship. Morgan tells us how collaboration, ambition and people with type 1 are at the heart of the Grand Challenge.
My type 1 diabetes
I was diagnosed with type 1 when I was 14, just before my first GCSE exam. My Dad researches type 1 diabetes and my mum lives with type 1, so they caught my symptoms of weight loss and extreme thirst before any permanent damage was caused. I’m currently using a closed loop system to manage my type 1 and I really like it. The system reduces the burden of type 1 and the variability in my blood glucose levels. This technology means I can get on with my day and work as anyone else would except for having a can of cola on my desk. The pump has also made my condition less visible to my colleagues as I don’t have to treat my hypos as often or give myself insulin injections.
Helping others with type 1
I’ve always been interested in science. At first, I wanted to be a vet, but having my own medical conditions pushed me to human science and helping other patients. I really enjoy being a lab technician because it’s a more hands-on approach to science. I like working with my hands and having a routine in the lab. Despite not being in direct contact with patients, I still have a sense that I’m helping other people living with type 1.
Giving our research perspective
Having diabetes and working on a type 1 specific project is really exciting. It gives me a different view and helps me focus on what people with type 1 need and want. It also helps me motivate the research team during long, hard lab days because knowing the end goal pushes us through. As a biomedical research lab, working with cells, tissues and models, we can feel separate from patients but having my perspective helps us. For example, I help scientists who aren’t used to speaking directly to people with type 1 to make sure the language they use in their presentations has the sensitivity and best phrasing for people with diabetes to read.
Teamwork in the Grand Challenge
I love working with the team in Dr James Cantley’s lab. We have lots of collaborators with different expertise working on different projects, so I get to see the other research taking place. We have lab meetings every week and scientific journal clubs to discuss newly published research papers. The Grand Challenge has a really collaborative feel, and we’re invited to attend a variety of different meetings. I’ve been given lots of responsibility as a technician and treated the same as the postdoctoral researchers, which isn’t always the case in other labs. James appreciates that we need a range of people with a variety of diverse opinions to achieve the most success.
Boosting Scottish diabetes research
It’s great to see a Northern lab in the UK being recognised by the Grand Challenge and receiving this funding. I wanted to work in Scotland and have been following James Cantley’s research closely. In my previous lab, I gained experience processing and studying human pancreatic organs generously donated for diabetes research. In James’ lab, we use a range of different cell and tissue approaches to progress our research, which means we can work faster and more flexibly towards new treatments.
Regrowing a person’s own beta cells
We’re studying pancreatic cell types which don’t make insulin to explore whether these can be converted into insulin-producing cells in people with type 1. The lab is exploring how the insulin-producing beta cells are related in embryos to another pancreatic cell type – the ductal cell. Dr Lisa Logie (a postdoctoral researcher) and I are optimising ductal cell isolation and culture, before other scientists in our team will add different drugs to see if they can transform them into beta cells.
A great research opportunity
I was following the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge before I started working in James’ lab. It’s a very exciting time for type 1 diabetes research. The unprecedented amount of funding very generously invested by the Steve Morgan Foundation is making science a lot more open and available to more people. Being an early career researcher, working on this high-profile project is a great opportunity for me to learn new techniques and become more specialised. I’ll be working on this research project for its five-year duration. This gives me job security and the chance to focus and commit to this one project, which is very unusual in academic research.
A cure for type 1 diabetes
No one person with type 1 is the same as another, so we need to make sure there are treatment options for everyone. To me, a real cure for type 1 would be not having to administer insulin or wear a pump. I want to have a normal experience of life without having to think about type 1 with every aspect of my day. Developing a cure for type 1 is the goal, but in the short-term, we need to keep making progress towards better quality of life for people with type 1. Making inulin pumps more sensitive and reducing the amount of insulin needed would be helpful, which is where the novel insulins strand of the Grand Challenge comes in.
Five-year research plan
Over the next five years it will be important to test different ideas, to evaluate which work and which don’t so that we can adapt our thinking and move forward towards our goal. Our aim is to develop a new treatment concept for type 1 by the end of the current Grand Challenge Fellowship, which we hope will then progress toward clinical trials.
The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge is providing a vital boost for UK diabetes research to find new treatments and cures for type 1 diabetes, faster. We are rallying the brightest minds around the UK and beyond to find ways to transform quality-of-life for the millions of people worldwide who live with type 1.
During 2023, the values at the heart of the Grand Challenge, speed, innovation, collaboration and ambition, have been clear. We made our first funding awards to nine diabetes research teams with big ideas, investing over £18 million to accelerate progress. While we’ve also been building vital capability within the diabetes research landscape, and nurturing creativity and collaboration in our three research priorities.
Here, we highlight what we’ve made happen in 2023.
Readying the starting blocks
To ensure we fuel research with the greatest possible potential to change the lives of people with type 1 diabetes, we enlisted the help of the world’s leading type 1 diabetes research experts. They sit on our Scientific Advisory Panels and work tirelessly to make sure our funding calls attract the best researchers with the most promising ideas.
This year, we’ve launched five new calls – asking scientists to develop ambitious and innovative research proposals and apply for our funding in each of the three Grand Challenge areas.
With ambition, innovation and collaboration at the heart of the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge, later in the year we called on scientists to push boundaries even further. Our Novel Insulins funding call is currently open and calling for bold ideas and innovations in insulin-based medicines from both academics and small-medium sized businesses, working across a range of disciplines from biotechnology to pharmacology. While our Beta Cell Therapy Innovations call is open for applications too. It’s seeking high-risk, high-reward ideas and new perspectives to support visionary ideas that could transform the field if successful.
Building momentum and collaboration
To prepare the research community for the Grand Challenge’s new and exciting way of funding research, we hosted first-of-a-kind networking events.
In May we held a virtual symposium on novel insulins research. The symposium provided a platform for researchers, policy makers and industry experts from around the world to share insights and expertise on the latest breakthroughs in novel insulin therapies.
Then in November, we held a networking workshop with scientists with diverse expertise, designed to spark cross disciplinary collaborations and fresh ideas, with the potential to overcome the roadblocks holding back progress in beta cell therapy research.
£18 million awarded so far
The response from the scientific community this year has been staggering, giving our expert advisory panels of scientists and people with lived experience of type 1 plenty of pioneering proposals to rigorously scrutinise and review.
In March, we announced the first projects awarded by the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge. £5 million went to three exceptional researchers, who become our first Senior Research Fellows. Dr James Cantley at the University of Dundee, will test new drugs to help people grow back their own beta cells. Dr Victoria Salem at Imperial College London,will develop a device that can be implanted into people with type 1 diabetes to deliver new beta cells. Professor Sarah Richardson at the University of Exeter, will explore how and why a person’s immune system destroys their own beta cells.
Then in December, we announced Grand Challenge funding of over £13 million for a further six research projects. Two of these projects will investigate how to tackle the immune system attack at the root of type 1 diabetes using promising new treatments, called immunotherapies, which could prevent or slow the condition. The remaining four projects will tackle the challenge of replacing insulin-producing beta cells. Three research teams will aim to improve the quality, functionality and survival of the beta cells we can develop in the lab, while the final team aim to make islet transplants from donors more effective.
Looking ahead to 2024
With the outstanding new research teams our funding has forged, in hand with wider collaborative community our panels, events and patient and public engagement work have built, the pace is set. In 2024, we’ll be announcing the first funding awards in the Novel Insulins research theme, along with the outcome of our call for innovative beta cell therapy ideas. We’ll also be reporting on progress from the groundbreaking research projects already underway. And we look forward to an exciting programme of activity that will continue to stimulate bold, innovative research at scale and create the change needed to improve the lives of millions of people with type 1 diabetes.
Keep your eye on the News and Views section of our website for live updates on the Grand Challenge.
Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge invests £13 million into six transformational new projects
December 7, 2023
We’re thrilled to unveil the latest groundbreaking research projects funded by the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge. Earlier this year, we called on scientists to submit research proposals to get us closer to having new treatments for people with type 1 diabetes that tackle the root cause of their condition and restore their insulin-making beta cells.
Now, over £13 million of funding will support six outstanding research teams – made up of 49 scientists, working at 22 different institutions in the UK and Europe – to fast-track discoveries that could see us make huge strides in how we treat type 1 diabetes.
Helping people make their own insulin
To cure type 1 diabetes, we need to find a way to give people with type 1 diabetes new beta cells that work to precisely control their blood sugar levels. Four of our new projects will innovate new ways of reaching this goal.
Beta cells: replace, protect, regenerate
Professor David Hodson, at University of Oxford, Dr Ildem Akerman, at University of Birmingham, and Dr Johannes Broichhagen, at Leibniz FMP, will lead a team to explore how insulin-boosting molecules that sit on the surface of beta cells could be harnessed to create beta cells in the lab that work better and survive for longer.
They’ll also investigate if the molecules can be used to deliver treatments that help to protect transplanted beta cells from the immune system or trigger new beta cells to grow inside the body, by encouraging other cells in the pancreas to transform into beta cells.
Professor Shanta Persaud and Dr Aileen King, at King’s College London, and team will work to create an unlimited supply of elite beta cells ready for transplant. They’ll draw on their expert knowledge in how the human pancreas works and develops, and apply this to making beta cells from stem cells in the lab. As they grow their beta cells, they’ll bolster them with specialised support cells and helpful nutrients that will encourage them to fully develop so they can respond to changing blood sugar levels just as well as real beta cells do.
Creating a better home for transplanted beta cells
Professor Francesca Spagnoli and Dr Rocio Sancho at King’s College London, together with Professor Molly Stevens at University of Oxford, will focus on ways to keep lab-made beta cells safe from harm. They’ll use cutting-edge technology to boost beta cells’ chances of survival once transplanted by coating them with protective gels and using nanoparticle technology to create a synthetic microenvironment to protect them from stress and immune attack.
The team will also develop a transplantation device that beta cells can live inside, to protect them from the hostile environment they’ll face once transplanted inside the body.
Professor Shareen Forbes, at University of Edinburgh, and Dr Lisa White, at University of Nottingham, will spearhead a team to search for ways to boost the benefits of donor beta cells transplants (called islet transplants). They’ll investigate if delivering drugs packaged inside microcapsules alongside islet transplants helps the donated beta cells produce more insulin and survive for longer. This would make islets transplants more effective and mean many more people with type 1 diabetes could benefit.
Finally, the team will investigate if this approach could be applied to beta cells made from stem cells.
In people living with type 1 diabetes, the immune system remains primed to seek out and destroy beta cells. To ensure the survival of any new beta cells transplanted into people with type 1, protection from the immune system is critical. Two projects from our latest multi-million-pound investment are focused on promising new immunotherapy treatments, which fend off the immune attack in type 1 diabetes.
Immunotherapy: is timing everything?
Dr James Pearson, at Cardiff University, and his team will investigate if the time of day when we give an immunotherapy can affect how well it works. They’ll study a type of immunotherapy drug named interleukin-2 (IL-2). It works by expanding the population of helpful immune cells, called regulatory T cells (Tregs), which try to prevent killer immune cells from launching their attack. Dr Pearson has found evidence that Tregs respond differently to IL-2 depending on the time of day and will now explore this further.
The findings could help to improve the effectiveness of a promising immunotherapy for people with and at risk of type 1 diabetes by identifying the best time of day to give the treatment.
Dr Danijela Tatovic, at Cardiff University, will head a team to explore if combining two immunotherapies that target different parts of the immune system could make them more effective at protecting beta cells.
They’ll run a clinical trial testing the immunotherapies abatacept and IL-2 with people recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, who still have some surviving beta cells. Their findings will tell us how best to combine the drugs and will lay the groundwork for a bigger trial, which could build the evidence needed to make this combination treatment available for people with or at risk of type 1 diabetes.
Dr Elizabeth Robertson, Director of Research at Diabetes UK, said:
“We’re in a hugely exciting period for the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge, as today we welcome six exceptional scientists who will lead exciting multi-disciplinary teams to drive forward this pioneering initiative and build momentum towards our ambitious goal.
“This announcement brings with it fresh hope of a cure for everyone living with type 1 diabetes, and we look forward to seeing how these projects will break new ground in our search for life-changing beta cell therapies and treatments to overcome the type 1 immune system attack.”
Rachel Connor, Director of Research Partnerships at JDRF UK, said:
“Today’s announcement of six newly funded research projects demonstrates the speed and ambition of the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge. All six projects hold great promise for people with type 1 diabetes. We can’t wait to see the results of this vital research to transform beta cell therapy and tackle the immune reaction that is at the root of driving type 1.”
Steve and Sally Morgan, Founders of the Steve Morgan Foundation, said:
“This is an exciting moment in our partnership with Diabetes UK and JDRF UK. We are astounded by the innovation and vision of the new projects and look forward to seeing how the research helps us realise our ambition of transforming the lives of people with type 1 diabetes.”
Our latest awards take the total amount of funding the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge has awarded in 2023 to over £18 million, following the Steve Morgan Foundation’s momentous £50 million pledge. We’ll keep you updated on the progress of this extraordinary research as our growing squad of scientists help us step closer to a cure.
We need new and improved treatments to replace or grow back beta cells that have been destroyed, so people with type 1 diabetes can make enough of their own insulin again.
Today sees the opening of a new Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge funding call focused on supporting innovations into beta cell therapies for people with type 1 diabetes.
Following our networking workshop last week, designed to spark cross disciplinary collaborations and fresh thinking into beta cell therapy research, we’re offering individual awards of up to £400,000. We want to support visionary research that will transform the field, by embracing high-risk, high-reward proposals. New and creative ideas that will address an unmet need in beta cell therapy research are strongly encouraged.
We also know that drawing on expertise from beyond type 1 diabetes could unlock innovations to overcome current obstacles. That’s why we’re encouraging multi-disciplinary collaboration and are calling on researchers from any discipline, including immunology, stem cell science, medicinal chemistry or bioengineering, to get involved.
Diabetes UK and JDRF have worked with the Grand Challenge Scientific Advisory Panels, comprising some of the world’s most eminent type 1 diabetes scientists, to shape this new call.
Researchers will be asked to submit a brief research plan, including a short video pitch, by February 19th 2024. The very best applicants will then be invited to a virtual interview.
Diabetes UK and JDRF are passionate about working closely with people affected by type 1 diabetes and encourage all applicants to do the same when building their applications.
If you’re a researcher and want to learn more about the Beta Cell Therapy Innovation Project Grant call, including top tips for applying, sign up to our webinar on December 14th.
Professor Qizhi Tang, a member of our Scientific Advisory Panel on beta cell therapies, said:
“Recent advances in stem cell technology and cell engineering have provided an unprecedented opportunity to restore beta cell function in people with type 1 diabetes. The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge is a momentous call to action to work together to advance this therapy.”
We brought researchers together to spark cross disciplinary collaborations and innovative ideas with the potential to disrupt the roadblocks holding back progress in beta cell therapy research.
Today sees the opening of a new Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge funding call focused on supporting innovations into beta cell therapies for people with type 1 diabetes.
Following our networking workshop last week, designed to spark cross disciplinary collaborations and fresh thinking into beta cell therapy research, we’re offering individual awards of up to £400,000. We want to support visionary research that will transform the field, by embracing high-risk, high-reward proposals. New and creative ideas that will address an unmet need in beta cell therapy research are strongly encouraged.
We also know that drawing on expertise from beyond type 1 diabetes could unlock innovations to overcome current obstacles. That’s why we’re encouraging multi-disciplinary collaboration and are calling on researchers from any discipline, including immunology, stem cell science, medicinal chemistry or bioengineering, to get involved.
Diabetes UK and JDRF have worked with the Grand Challenge Scientific Advisory Panels, comprising some of the world’s most eminent type 1 diabetes scientists, to shape this new call.
Researchers will be asked to submit a brief research plan, including a short video pitch, by February 19th 2024. The very best applicants will then be invited to a virtual interview.
Diabetes UK and JDRF are passionate about working closely with people affected by type 1 diabetes and encourage all applicants to do the same when building their applications.
If you’re a researcher and want to learn more about the Beta Cell Therapy Innovation Project Grant call, including top tips for applying, sign up to our webinar on December 14th.
Professor Qizhi Tang, a member of our Scientific Advisory Panel on beta cell therapies, said:
“Recent advances in stem cell technology and cell engineering have provided an unprecedented opportunity to restore beta cell function in people with type 1 diabetes. The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge is a momentous call to action to work together to advance this therapy.”
We brought researchers together to spark cross disciplinary collaborations and innovative ideas with the potential to disrupt the roadblocks holding back progress in beta cell therapy research.
Today sees the opening of a new Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge funding call focused on supporting innovations into beta cell therapies for people with type 1 diabetes.
Following our networking workshop last week, designed to spark cross disciplinary collaborations and fresh thinking into beta cell therapy research, we’re offering individual awards of up to £400,000. We want to support visionary research that will transform the field, by embracing high-risk, high-reward proposals. New and creative ideas that will address an unmet need in beta cell therapy research are strongly encouraged.
We also know that drawing on expertise from beyond type 1 diabetes could unlock innovations to overcome current obstacles. That’s why we’re encouraging multi-disciplinary collaboration and are calling on researchers from any discipline, including immunology, stem cell science, medicinal chemistry or bioengineering, to get involved.
Diabetes UK and JDRF have worked with the Grand Challenge Scientific Advisory Panels, comprising some of the world’s most eminent type 1 diabetes scientists, to shape this new call.
Researchers will be asked to submit a brief research plan, including a short video pitch, by February 19th 2024. The very best applicants will then be invited to a virtual interview.
Diabetes UK and JDRF are passionate about working closely with people affected by type 1 diabetes and encourage all applicants to do the same when building their applications.
If you’re a researcher and want to learn more about the Beta Cell Therapy Innovation Project Grant call, including top tips for applying, sign up to our webinar on December 14th.
Professor Qizhi Tang, a member of our Scientific Advisory Panel on beta cell therapies, said:
“Recent advances in stem cell technology and cell engineering have provided an unprecedented opportunity to restore beta cell function in people with type 1 diabetes. The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge is a momentous call to action to work together to advance this therapy.”
We brought researchers together to spark cross disciplinary collaborations and innovative ideas with the potential to disrupt the roadblocks holding back progress in beta cell therapy research.
Today sees the opening of a new Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge funding call focused on supporting innovations into beta cell therapies for people with type 1 diabetes.
Following our networking workshop last week, designed to spark cross disciplinary collaborations and fresh thinking into beta cell therapy research, we’re offering individual awards of up to £400,000. We want to support visionary research that will transform the field, by embracing high-risk, high-reward proposals. New and creative ideas that will address an unmet need in beta cell therapy research are strongly encouraged.
We also know that drawing on expertise from beyond type 1 diabetes could unlock innovations to overcome current obstacles. That’s why we’re encouraging multi-disciplinary collaboration and are calling on researchers from any discipline, including immunology, stem cell science, medicinal chemistry or bioengineering, to get involved.
Diabetes UK and JDRF have worked with the Grand Challenge Scientific Advisory Panels, comprising some of the world’s most eminent type 1 diabetes scientists, to shape this new call.
Researchers will be asked to submit a brief research plan, including a short video pitch, by February 19th 2024. The very best applicants will then be invited to a virtual interview.
Diabetes UK and JDRF are passionate about working closely with people affected by type 1 diabetes and encourage all applicants to do the same when building their applications.
If you’re a researcher and want to learn more about the Beta Cell Therapy Innovation Project Grant call, including top tips for applying, sign up to our webinar on December 14th.
Professor Qizhi Tang, a member of our Scientific Advisory Panel on beta cell therapies, said:
“Recent advances in stem cell technology and cell engineering have provided an unprecedented opportunity to restore beta cell function in people with type 1 diabetes. The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge is a momentous call to action to work together to advance this therapy.”
Video, Views
£1 million available to ignite beta cell therapy innovations
In this podcast produced by DRWF, listen to our Senior Research Fellows, Professor Sarah Richardson, Dr James Cantley and Dr Victoria Salem, as they discuss their research interests, Grand Challenge projects, and the impact funding can have on research.
The Living with Diabetes podcast, produced by the Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation (DRWF) and hosted by Claire Levy, showcases inspirational stories about diabetes. In episode 22 of the series, the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge takes centre stage, as Claire interviews our three Senior Research Fellows. Hear from Professor Sarah Richardson, Dr James Cantley and Dr Victoria Salem as they explore their specific areas of research and explain how Grand Challenge funding is supporting them to devote more time and energy to their research.
Dr James Cantley’s project aims to identify, develop and test new treatments to grow new beta cells, and encourage surviving beta cells to replicate directly in the pancreases of people with type 1 diabetes.
Professor Sarah Richardson’s project aims to investigate how and why the immune system destroys beta cells in type 1 diabetes, and how the process may differ between people with the condition.
Earlier this year, we kicked off the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge’s £50 million programme of research when we announced the very first scientists who will each solve different problems that could unlock a new era in treatments for people living with type 1. And now, three months later, they’ve already made tremendous progress by recruiting staff, setting up their labs, forming collaborations and even finalising publications. We caught up with them to hear about their research journeys and their hopes for the Grand Challenge.
Today sees the opening of a new Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge funding call focused on supporting innovations into beta cell therapies for people with type 1 diabetes.
Following our networking workshop last week, designed to spark cross disciplinary collaborations and fresh thinking into beta cell therapy research, we’re offering individual awards of up to £400,000. We want to support visionary research that will transform the field, by embracing high-risk, high-reward proposals. New and creative ideas that will address an unmet need in beta cell therapy research are strongly encouraged.
We also know that drawing on expertise from beyond type 1 diabetes could unlock innovations to overcome current obstacles. That’s why we’re encouraging multi-disciplinary collaboration and are calling on researchers from any discipline, including immunology, stem cell science, medicinal chemistry or bioengineering, to get involved.
Diabetes UK and JDRF have worked with the Grand Challenge Scientific Advisory Panels, comprising some of the world’s most eminent type 1 diabetes scientists, to shape this new call.
Researchers will be asked to submit a brief research plan, including a short video pitch, by February 19th 2024. The very best applicants will then be invited to a virtual interview.
Diabetes UK and JDRF are passionate about working closely with people affected by type 1 diabetes and encourage all applicants to do the same when building their applications.
If you’re a researcher and want to learn more about the Beta Cell Therapy Innovation Project Grant call, including top tips for applying, sign up to our webinar on December 14th.
Professor Qizhi Tang, a member of our Scientific Advisory Panel on beta cell therapies, said:
“Recent advances in stem cell technology and cell engineering have provided an unprecedented opportunity to restore beta cell function in people with type 1 diabetes. The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge is a momentous call to action to work together to advance this therapy.”
How did you involve people with diabetes when shaping your Grand Challenge research ideas?
Vicky Salem
“For this application, I worked with Alex Silverstein who has type 1 himself, but who has also been the most phenomenal patient advocate over the years through his work with Health Data Research UK.”
James Cantley
“I’ve been a member of a Diabetes UK Diabetes Research Steering Group for 6 years and have also been involved in many public engagement events. Beta cell regeneration regularly features in these discussions.”
“In many ways, I think beta cell regeneration could be the ultimate treatment for type 1 diabetes. We do have a way to go before we see it move from the bench to bedside, but we are on the cusp of a new era of type 1 diabetes treatment, and I can’t wait to see where this research takes us.”
“I’m extremely grateful to those with diabetes who give up their time to help advise and review our research; this input is invaluable to advancing science.”
Sarah Richardson
“Through my work and being a member of a Diabetes UK Diabetes Research Steering Group, I’ve met and become friends with many people with type 1 diabetes, who remain a huge source of inspiration for me.”
“I see the burden; I see the worry. My goal is to make this burden lighter and one day to hopefully remove it entirely.”
“Conversations with people with lived experience of type 1 are always enlightening, humbling and fuel my determination and passion to make a difference.”
How has your Senior Research Fellowship been progressing so far?
Vicky Salem
“We’ve only just started work on the project, but so far, we’ve recruited the most fantastic group of PhD students and postdocs who come from a range of different scientific backgrounds – biologists, biochemists, material scientists and chemists. Together we’ve already managed to grow blood vessels from cells that have been taken from a patient with type 1 diabetes, giving us a single blood sample.”
“We can extract some cells from that blood sample and grow them in the lab and then use those to build brand new blood vessel networks outside the body. This is the start of the skeleton or the backbone we need to introduce the islets to, to then re-transplant them back into that patient.”
“It’s hugely exciting. We can actually see blood flowing through the blood vessels we’re growing in the lab. This kind of an advance applies not only to people with diabetes, but to all sorts of other regenerative medicine approaches.”
James Cantley
“The fellowship has been really helpful in protecting my time and has given me the ability to focus on research fully.”
“The kudos and publicity surrounding the announcement of the Grand Challenge funding has helped me succeed in recruiting three great people to my team, including a research technician, postdoc and PhD student. Advertising the roles as part of the Grand Challenges attracted high quality international candidates with essential skillsets.”
“I’m very excited to begin the next steps.”
Sarah Richardson
“It’s been very exciting to get started! We’ve recruited some amazing people to our team, the new postdoc and research technician have both really hit the ground running.”
“Together we’ve made a lot of progress, preparing for large-scale imaging analysis and making sure everything is in place for future work. This included upgrading our setup so that up to 10 people can use the software at the same time, both in the lab or remotely. Previously only two people could use it at once and they had to be physically in the lab. This really is a huge step forward!”
“We’ve also collated pancreas images from biobanks around the world, including some very rare samples, allowing us to systematically analyse pancreatic islets in people diagnosed at different ages and stages of type 1 diabetes.”
“We’re also working on getting a few papers submitted to academic journals. The work is fast paced but I’m so grateful to be in this position.”
What is the best thing about your work?
Vicky Salem
“I have the best job in the world. That’s because about 40% of my time is spent with patients, helping them to manage their condition, which is just so rewarding.”
“And of course, talking to patients is incredibly important. There is no point sitting in an ivory tower and coming up with solutions to problems that don’t exist or aren’t important to patients.”
James Cantley
“I’m driven by the excitement of discovering new insights into how the body works, especially the pancreatic beta cell, which has occupied most of my waking hours for the past 20 years.”
“I enjoy the camaraderie and collaborative nature of research, working together towards a common goal, and training the scientists and research leaders of the future. And this Senior Research Fellowship combines all of these!”
Sarah Richardson
“There are less than 700 pancreases available to the research community from people with type 1 diabetes, and even fewer from individuals very close to type 1 diabetes diagnosis where the disease process is most active. Each one looks very different depending on the age someone was diagnosed.”
“One of the best things about my job is spending my day looking at these incredibly beautiful images and working with talented and dedicated researchers to tease out what they can tell us about the root causes of type 1 diabetes.”
Can you tell us about a defining moment in your work as a scientist?
Vicky Salem
“In 2016, I was awarded almost £900,000 of funding from Diabetes UK, to investigate how gut hormones could treat type 2 diabetes and obesity in the future. This was totally life-changing for me because it gave me the opportunity to finish my junior doctor training and become a consultant and at the same time open my own lab and become an independent clinician scientist.”
“At the beginning of this project, I proposed the idea of developing a new way to take images of cells in the pancreas. I remember walking into the room with this huge spinning microscope that cost about £1 million, and thinking, oh my God, where is the on switch?!”
“But even to this day, I remember the first time I saw an image on that microscope of pancreas cells inside a living animal releasing insulin at single cell beta cell resolution, and I thought, yes, I can do this, and I will do this.”
James Cantley
“There have been so many memorable moments in my career, too many to mention! If forced to pick, I would say working on my Diabetes UK-funded PhD project when I was investigating the interaction between oxygen and glucose sensing pathways in beta cells.”
“This was a large project with multiple collaborators, and being involved with so many talented colleagues really underscored the importance of cooperation in science.”
Sarah Richardson
“I will never forget the day I first sat in the lab looking down the microscope reviewing precious donor pancreas tissues, tears streamed down my face as I recognised the loss of so many people, especially children, so far before their time. I want to ensure that we learn from these to improve the lives of those living with type 1 diabetes now and in the future.”
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
Vicky Salem
“I have three children, Georgia is 10, Saul is 11 and Anna is 13, so every bit of spare time I get is focused on them.”
“I have struggled with mum guilt my entire career; I haven’t always been the type of mum that has been at the school gate every day. But I’ve tried to make up for that by talking to them all the time about my work, about the world and encouraging in them the same kind of curiosity that makes my job so fulfilling.”
James Cantley
“When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two daughters, exploring the Scottish Highlands. I’m also a keen climber which helps me to relax and refocus.”
Sarah Richardson
“I have a husband and two daughters, so when I’m not in the lab I take every opportunity to spend time with them and listen to them play music at different open mic nights.”
“I also walk (and run when I can) with my dog, an Australian Kelpie called Mick. Some of my best ideas and solutions to challenges come out of these walks.”
First class research can’t happen without first class researchers, and we couldn’t be more excited to see how the three Senior Research Fellows will break new ground over the next five years.
Dr James Cantley’s project aims to identify, develop and test new treatments to grow new beta cells, and encourage surviving beta cells to replicate directly in the pancreases of people with type 1 diabetes.
Professor Sarah Richardson’s project aims to investigate how and why the immune system destroys beta cells in type 1 diabetes, and how the process may differ between people with the condition.
Earlier this year, we kicked off the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge’s £50 million programme of research when we announced the very first scientists who will each solve different problems that could unlock a new era in treatments for people living with type 1. And now, three months later, they’ve already made tremendous progress by recruiting staff, setting up their labs, forming collaborations and even finalising publications. We caught up with them to hear about their research journeys and their hopes for the Grand Challenge.
Today sees the opening of a new Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge funding call focused on supporting innovations into beta cell therapies for people with type 1 diabetes.
Following our networking workshop last week, designed to spark cross disciplinary collaborations and fresh thinking into beta cell therapy research, we’re offering individual awards of up to £400,000. We want to support visionary research that will transform the field, by embracing high-risk, high-reward proposals. New and creative ideas that will address an unmet need in beta cell therapy research are strongly encouraged.
We also know that drawing on expertise from beyond type 1 diabetes could unlock innovations to overcome current obstacles. That’s why we’re encouraging multi-disciplinary collaboration and are calling on researchers from any discipline, including immunology, stem cell science, medicinal chemistry or bioengineering, to get involved.
Diabetes UK and JDRF have worked with the Grand Challenge Scientific Advisory Panels, comprising some of the world’s most eminent type 1 diabetes scientists, to shape this new call.
Researchers will be asked to submit a brief research plan, including a short video pitch, by February 19th 2024. The very best applicants will then be invited to a virtual interview.
Diabetes UK and JDRF are passionate about working closely with people affected by type 1 diabetes and encourage all applicants to do the same when building their applications.
If you’re a researcher and want to learn more about the Beta Cell Therapy Innovation Project Grant call, including top tips for applying, sign up to our webinar on December 14th.
Professor Qizhi Tang, a member of our Scientific Advisory Panel on beta cell therapies, said:
“Recent advances in stem cell technology and cell engineering have provided an unprecedented opportunity to restore beta cell function in people with type 1 diabetes. The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge is a momentous call to action to work together to advance this therapy.”
How did you involve people with diabetes when shaping your Grand Challenge research ideas?
Vicky Salem
“For this application, I worked with Alex Silverstein who has type 1 himself, but who has also been the most phenomenal patient advocate over the years through his work with Health Data Research UK.”
James Cantley
“I’ve been a member of a Diabetes UK Diabetes Research Steering Group for 6 years and have also been involved in many public engagement events. Beta cell regeneration regularly features in these discussions.”
“In many ways, I think beta cell regeneration could be the ultimate treatment for type 1 diabetes. We do have a way to go before we see it move from the bench to bedside, but we are on the cusp of a new era of type 1 diabetes treatment, and I can’t wait to see where this research takes us.”
“I’m extremely grateful to those with diabetes who give up their time to help advise and review our research; this input is invaluable to advancing science.”
Sarah Richardson
“Through my work and being a member of a Diabetes UK Diabetes Research Steering Group, I’ve met and become friends with many people with type 1 diabetes, who remain a huge source of inspiration for me.”
“I see the burden; I see the worry. My goal is to make this burden lighter and one day to hopefully remove it entirely.”
“Conversations with people with lived experience of type 1 are always enlightening, humbling and fuel my determination and passion to make a difference.”
How has your Senior Research Fellowship been progressing so far?
Vicky Salem
“We’ve only just started work on the project, but so far, we’ve recruited the most fantastic group of PhD students and postdocs who come from a range of different scientific backgrounds – biologists, biochemists, material scientists and chemists. Together we’ve already managed to grow blood vessels from cells that have been taken from a patient with type 1 diabetes, giving us a single blood sample.”
“We can extract some cells from that blood sample and grow them in the lab and then use those to build brand new blood vessel networks outside the body. This is the start of the skeleton or the backbone we need to introduce the islets to, to then re-transplant them back into that patient.”
“It’s hugely exciting. We can actually see blood flowing through the blood vessels we’re growing in the lab. This kind of an advance applies not only to people with diabetes, but to all sorts of other regenerative medicine approaches.”
James Cantley
“The fellowship has been really helpful in protecting my time and has given me the ability to focus on research fully.”
“The kudos and publicity surrounding the announcement of the Grand Challenge funding has helped me succeed in recruiting three great people to my team, including a research technician, postdoc and PhD student. Advertising the roles as part of the Grand Challenges attracted high quality international candidates with essential skillsets.”
“I’m very excited to begin the next steps.”
Sarah Richardson
“It’s been very exciting to get started! We’ve recruited some amazing people to our team, the new postdoc and research technician have both really hit the ground running.”
“Together we’ve made a lot of progress, preparing for large-scale imaging analysis and making sure everything is in place for future work. This included upgrading our setup so that up to 10 people can use the software at the same time, both in the lab or remotely. Previously only two people could use it at once and they had to be physically in the lab. This really is a huge step forward!”
“We’ve also collated pancreas images from biobanks around the world, including some very rare samples, allowing us to systematically analyse pancreatic islets in people diagnosed at different ages and stages of type 1 diabetes.”
“We’re also working on getting a few papers submitted to academic journals. The work is fast paced but I’m so grateful to be in this position.”
What is the best thing about your work?
Vicky Salem
“I have the best job in the world. That’s because about 40% of my time is spent with patients, helping them to manage their condition, which is just so rewarding.”
“And of course, talking to patients is incredibly important. There is no point sitting in an ivory tower and coming up with solutions to problems that don’t exist or aren’t important to patients.”
James Cantley
“I’m driven by the excitement of discovering new insights into how the body works, especially the pancreatic beta cell, which has occupied most of my waking hours for the past 20 years.”
“I enjoy the camaraderie and collaborative nature of research, working together towards a common goal, and training the scientists and research leaders of the future. And this Senior Research Fellowship combines all of these!”
Sarah Richardson
“There are less than 700 pancreases available to the research community from people with type 1 diabetes, and even fewer from individuals very close to type 1 diabetes diagnosis where the disease process is most active. Each one looks very different depending on the age someone was diagnosed.”
“One of the best things about my job is spending my day looking at these incredibly beautiful images and working with talented and dedicated researchers to tease out what they can tell us about the root causes of type 1 diabetes.”
Can you tell us about a defining moment in your work as a scientist?
Vicky Salem
“In 2016, I was awarded almost £900,000 of funding from Diabetes UK, to investigate how gut hormones could treat type 2 diabetes and obesity in the future. This was totally life-changing for me because it gave me the opportunity to finish my junior doctor training and become a consultant and at the same time open my own lab and become an independent clinician scientist.”
“At the beginning of this project, I proposed the idea of developing a new way to take images of cells in the pancreas. I remember walking into the room with this huge spinning microscope that cost about £1 million, and thinking, oh my God, where is the on switch?!”
“But even to this day, I remember the first time I saw an image on that microscope of pancreas cells inside a living animal releasing insulin at single cell beta cell resolution, and I thought, yes, I can do this, and I will do this.”
James Cantley
“There have been so many memorable moments in my career, too many to mention! If forced to pick, I would say working on my Diabetes UK-funded PhD project when I was investigating the interaction between oxygen and glucose sensing pathways in beta cells.”
“This was a large project with multiple collaborators, and being involved with so many talented colleagues really underscored the importance of cooperation in science.”
Sarah Richardson
“I will never forget the day I first sat in the lab looking down the microscope reviewing precious donor pancreas tissues, tears streamed down my face as I recognised the loss of so many people, especially children, so far before their time. I want to ensure that we learn from these to improve the lives of those living with type 1 diabetes now and in the future.”
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
Vicky Salem
“I have three children, Georgia is 10, Saul is 11 and Anna is 13, so every bit of spare time I get is focused on them.”
“I have struggled with mum guilt my entire career; I haven’t always been the type of mum that has been at the school gate every day. But I’ve tried to make up for that by talking to them all the time about my work, about the world and encouraging in them the same kind of curiosity that makes my job so fulfilling.”
James Cantley
“When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two daughters, exploring the Scottish Highlands. I’m also a keen climber which helps me to relax and refocus.”
Sarah Richardson
“I have a husband and two daughters, so when I’m not in the lab I take every opportunity to spend time with them and listen to them play music at different open mic nights.”
“I also walk (and run when I can) with my dog, an Australian Kelpie called Mick. Some of my best ideas and solutions to challenges come out of these walks.”
First class research can’t happen without first class researchers, and we couldn’t be more excited to see how the three Senior Research Fellows will break new ground over the next five years.
3. A weekly insulin could be coming
People with type 1 currently take a type of slow-acting insulin, known as basal insulin, once or twice a day to control blood sugar outside of eating. Researchers are developing a new generation of insulins that can work for even longer, reducing the number of injections you need. It may seem counterintuitive, but by editing insulin to make it less effective at clearing glucose, researchers can make it work for longer. This reduced function means it can stay in the body without causing hypoglycaemia.
Novo Nordisk have used this principle to create an insulin called insulin isodec, which has had very promising results in clinical trials. The company has now applied to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for regulatory approval, meaning weekly basal insulin injections could soon become a reality for people with diabetes.
4. Ways to make insulin respond to glucose
Scientists specialising in different disciplines from chemistry to bioengineering have inventive ideas about how to create glucose-responsive insulins, also known as smart insulins. An interesting idea is to create a mixture of insulin and a chemical that can sense glucose, with a large molecule to keep them together.
A team led by Professor Matthew Webber at the University of Notre Dame has developed such a mixture. The insulin mixture is an insoluble blob at a neutral pH, which means not acidic or alkaline. Then, when glucose levels rise, the pH becomes more acidic and the mixture dissolves, releasing the insulin so that it can bind to glucose. Their tests on animals have shown that a single dose of their smart insulin mixture can keep glucose levels stable for up to five days in mice and up to a week in pigs.
The glucose-responsive insulin mixture in its soluble state and its insoluble state
5. Computer models to streamline research
Treatments must be tested in animals before they can enter clinical trials with people. But lots of drugs that are effective in animals turn out not to work in humans. Professor Michael Strano and his team at MIT have developed a sophisticated computer model of the glucose control system in animals and humans, which can predict how the body will respond to different treatments. The team created the simulation using a combination of maths, biochemistry and extensive data collection from people with type 1.
Researchers can plug their drug designs into the computer model to predict whether it will work or not and edit their designs accordingly. This tool is especially useful for glucose-responsive ‘smart’ insulins because scientists all over the world are experimenting with a range of different approaches to develop them. The simulator will streamline the research process by allowing researchers to only invest time and energy in their ideas that have the best chance of success. It will save crucial time, money and effort in the research and development stage and ensure only the insulins (and other therapies for type 1) with the most potential progress to clinical trials.
Bonus: glucose-responsive glucagon
We can apply all of these ideas for creating glucose-responsive insulin to the hormone glucagon, which has the opposite effect to insulin. Glucagon stimulates glucose production and release from where it is stored in the liver, which is why it is a treatment for severe hypoglycaemia.
A glucagon emergency rescue kit to treat severe hypos
Dr Alborz Madavi, a researcher who founded the company Protomer, believes that a long-acting dose of glucose-responsive glucagon, which could be taken just once a week, would protect against hypoglycaemia. The smart glucagon would turn on at low glucose levels to prevent hypos and work alongside the user’s normal insulin treatment. Dr Mahdavi believes this would help people with type 1 feel less worried about overnight hypos and allow more flexibility with taking insulin.
Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge offers hope for novel insulins
The £15 million set aside by the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge to tackle the challenge of novel insulins will expand upon this exciting research to bring these innovative ideas closer to reality. From hormones that can respond to varying glucose levels, to fast- and long-acting insulin, to easier ways to take insulin without injections, novel insulins are coming, and the Grand Challenge will get us there faster.
While we push towards a cure, we need next generation insulins such as those that can respond to changing blood sugar levels and eliminate highs and lows. Find our more about our Novel Insulin Grand Challenge.
By harnessing the power of collaboration, targeting research areas with the greatest potential, and stimulating bold, innovative research at scale, we’re creating change that will improve the lives of millions of people with type 1 diabetes.
