Diabetes UK announced that it would be dedicating almost £750,000 ($1,200,000) to four new research projects looking to understand the causes of diabetes, help with its day-to-day management and protect against its complications.
“We are delighted to be supporting this new research and hope that it will bring benefit and improvements for people living with diabetes,” said Dr Iain Frame, Director of Research at Diabetes UK.
The Projects funded are:
- A study of the benefits of dietary fiber on Type 2 diabetics, conducted by Dr Denise Robertson of the University of Surrey, England.
- Dr Karalliedde of King’s College London will lead a clinical trial to better understand the effects of vitamin D supplements, in addition to existing treatments, on chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease in people with Type 2 diabetes.
- Dr Ian Salt of the University of Glasgow will head a study aimed to further understand the molecular mechanisms of glucose storage in fat tissue, which could reveal targets for the development of future drugs and new therapies for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes.
- Prof Gwyn Gould of the University of Glasgow will lead a team investigating the role of a protein called mVps45 in the movement of glucose transporter proteins, called GLUT4, to the cell surface where they act as ‘doors’ allowing glucose to enter the cell. It is hoped that this knowledge will provide a focus for the development of new types of drugs for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes.
