Diabetes: exploring the sweet and sour

Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed using a blood test called HbA1c – with a single threshold for everyone. However, variants in your DNA may affect the accuracy of the test. This means some people with diabetes are diagnosed late and may have more complications. Many of these variants are more common in ethnic minorities in the UK. Our research aims to use the power of genetics to make diabetes diagnosis more equitable.

Stem cells are the master building block of all tissues, as they can produce any cell type in the body. In the lab, scientists can direct these stem cells to generate pancreatic cells that produce hormones (called islets of Langerhans). These islets include cells that produce insulin (beta-cells) which are impacted in diabetes.  Come and listen to how we can do this in the lab, how we could use these stem cell-islets to better understand rarer forms of diabetes, and the exciting potential of stem cell-islets for the treatment for type 1 diabetes!

Ever noticed how depression and diabetes are besties in the worst way? Scientists are puzzled over why these two love to tag along together! While risk factors like body mass index play some role in this, but another major culprit might be sleep! Sleep problems like insomnia seem to fuel this toxic relationship, increasing diabetes risk in people with
depression. Our research shows that depression and diabetes share genetic factors, with insomnia acting as a key mediator. Bottom line? Prioritizing good sleep isn’t just about feeling rested, it could help protect both your mental and physical health!