Combined inhibition of RANKL/RANK and DYRK1A pathways for T1D therapy
Forecasted
Combined inhibition of RANKL/RANK and DYRK1A pathways for T1D therapy supports early-career research on combined pathway inhibition to regenerate and protect pancreatic beta cells in Type 1 diabetes.
Funder: Diabetes Research Connection
Due Dates (Anticipated): July 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $25,000–$75,000 for one year; graduate students may request up to $50,000
Summary: DRC supports innovative early-career Type 1 diabetes research, including combined pathway inhibition to regenerate and protect pancreatic beta cells.
Key Information: Applicants must conduct research at a U.S. institution and cannot be NIH-funded principal investigators or R01 recipients.
Description
Diabetes Research Connection (DRC) funds innovative, discovery-stage Type 1 diabetes (T1D) research by early-career scientists through a donor-driven, peer-reviewed funding model. Its seed grants support one-year studies in cure, care, complications, and prevention, helping researchers establish proof of concept for larger funding opportunities.
Project #70, led by Nagesha Guthalu Kondegowda, Ph.D., at City of Hope’s Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, tests combined inhibition of the RANKL/RANK and DYRK1A pathways. The study combines denosumab or osteoprotegerin (OPG) with harmine to improve beta cell regeneration, survival, and function under T1D-related stress. Building on pilot evidence of greater replication with the combination, it will examine rodent and human beta cells and test whether treatment can reverse T1D in a preclinical mouse model.
