Beta cells

Insulin on the brain

Dr Craig Beall and Dr Thomas Piers’ Beta Cell Therapy Innovation Project Grant

Dr Craig Beall

Led by Drs Craig Beall and Thomas Piers at the University of Exeter, this project will explore whether a type of cell found in the brain can help beta cells to make more insulin while hiding them from the immune system’s attack. Using ‘organ-on-a-chip’ devices, their approach could improve the outcomes of beta cell transplants. 

Background to the research projectbrain cells for beta cells 

In type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. But beta cells aren’t the only cells that make insulin, and the pancreas isn’t the only place in the body where insulin is made. 

Insulin is produced in the brain. There are at least six different types of brain cells that make insulin, and in type 1 diabetes these are hidden from the immune system attack. The cells all have different functions but the insulin they produce isn’t released in the right place or in high enough quantities to help manage blood sugar levels in type 1 diabetes.  

Dr Craig Beall and Dr Thomas Piers are investigating if a type of brain cell can be engineered to work together with beta cells to make lots of insulin, out of sight from the immune system. The hope is that this could help improve the effectiveness of beta cell transplants in people with type 1 diabetes.  

What will the team do in this project?

In the lab, Dr Beall and Dr Piers will grow clusters of insulin-producing brain cells and beta cells on a special plate called an ‘organ-on-a-chip’ device. They’ll recreate the conditions of type 1 diabetes, and test how these clusters react to sugar, nutrients, and treatments, compared to clusters of beta cells from human donors. 

They’ll also test how well blood vessels form around them on the organ-on-a-chip device as this will be important for keeping the cells alive when transplanted. 

How will this research help people with type 1 diabetes?

In current beta cell transplants, the immune system tends to attack transplanted beta cells, meaning some of the benefits of transplants are short-lived. Or people who’ve had transplants need to take drugs that dial down their immune system, called immunosuppressants. Dr Beall and Dr Piers project could lead to the development of new or improved beta cell therapies that can help people with type 1 produce insulin for longer periods without the need for immunosuppressant drugs. 

Dr Craig Beall said:

We are really excited to have this funding from the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge. This scheme really pushed us to harness brainpower to come up with the best possible ideas and to look for creative new concepts. The moonshot we’re aiming for is a cure that frees people with type 1 diabetes from insulin injections and immunosuppression, and this is the next step in that journey.