Project 446661

Type 2 diabetes has been previously considered a chronic progressive disease; however, new evidence suggests that it can be reversed. Our project is focused on identifying novel protein targets for inducing diabetes remission and discovering their mechanisms of action. We have established a unique biobank of blood samples collected in 5 clinical trials in which we induced diabetes remission in patients with type 2 diabetes by using a combination of medical and lifestyle approaches. We propose to use this biobank as the first step for identifying novel proteins that change in people who undergo remission. We will then evaluate how these proteins relate to the development of new diabetes in a large international observational study. After identifying the top protein candidates for inducing diabetes remission, we will elucidate their mechanisms of action in animal models of diabetes as well as computer simulation models of multiple systems of the human body. This study provides a unique opportunity to identify novel proteins related to remission of type 2 diabetes and help identify new drug targets for preventing and reversing this disease.