# NIDDK News

News and events from NIDDK-funded research and programs.

- Scientists discover potential treatment approaches for polycystic kidney disease Researchers have shown that dangerous cysts, which form over time in polycystic kidney disease (PKD), can be prevented by a single normal copy of a defective gene. This means the potential exists that scientists could one day tailor a gene therapy to treat the disease. They also discovered that a type of drug, known as a glycoside, can sidestep the effects of the defective gene in PKD. The discoveries could set the stage for new therapeutic approaches to treating PKD, which affects millions worldwide.
- Bariatric surgery provides long-term blood glucose control, type 2 diabetes remission People with type 2 diabetes who underwent bariatric surgery achieved better long-term blood glucose control compared to people who received medical management plus lifestyle interventions according to a new study supported by the National Institutes of Health.
- Switching to vegan or ketogenic diet rapidly impacts immune system Researchers at the National Institutes of Health observed rapid and distinct immune system changes in a small study of people who switched to a vegan or a ketogenic (also called keto) diet. Scientists closely monitored various biological responses of people sequentially eating vegan and keto diets for two weeks, in random order.
- Diabetes in America now available Diabetes in America is the NIDDK’s compilation and assessment of epidemiologic, public health, clinical research, and clinical trial data focused on diabetes. This updated resource, developed by researchers at NIDDK and leading diabetes experts from around the country and world, is a one-stop source for crucial scientific information on diabetes, its complications and treatment, health care utilization, and diabetes prevention in the United States.
- New atlas of human kidney cells to help unlock kidney disease research A study funded by the NIH created the most comprehensive atlas of the human kidney to advance progress in understanding and treating kidney disease. The Kidney Tissue Atlas marks an important milestone for the multicenter study, called the Kidney Precision Medicine Project (KPMP), which began in 2017 with the aim of improving treatment for kidney disease.
- Being hospitalized with acute kidney injury may increase risk for rehospitalization and death A study supported by the National Institutes of Health found that people who experienced acute kidney injury (AKI) during a hospitalization, including those admitted with AKI or who developed AKI in the hospital, were more likely to revisit the hospital or die shortly after discharge, compared to people hospitalized without AKI. AKI is a sudden loss of kidney function that usually lasts for a short time. The research, funded by NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), was published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.
- NIH-supported trial shows artificial pancreas improves blood glucose control in young children Artificial pancreas technology improved blood glucose control in young children between ages 2 and 6 with type 1 diabetes, according to the results of the Pediatric Artificial Pancreas (PEDAP) Trial, a 13-week randomized controlled trial conducted at three pediatric diabetes centers across the United States.
- Early anti-VEGF treatment of diabetic retinopathy yields no benefit to visual acuity Findings from NIH-supported clinical trial showed early treatment of diabetes slows progression to severe disease, but it did not improve visual acuity compared with treating more severe disease once it developed.
- New 3-D model offers insights into the role of glucose in a deadly kidney disease A research team supported by the National Institutes of Health has developed a new approach to better understand the biology of polycystic kidney disease (PKD), and often-life-threatening genetic disorder that affects millions worldwide. Scientists combined two ways to model the disorder — organ-in-a-dish and organ-on-a-chip technologies — to show the role of glucose, a sugar commonly found in blood, in forming PKD cysts.
- Disrupting “talk” amongst liver cells yields therapeutic targets for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease Listening in on how liver cells communicate amongst themselves led to discovery of new therapeutic targets for an advanced stage of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
- Future surge in diabetes could dramatically impact people under 20 in U.S. The number of young people under age 20 with diabetes in the United States is likely to increase more rapidly in future decades, according to a new modeling study published today in Diabetes Care.
- Resolving key details of polycystic kidney disease genetics Researchers have clarified what genetic variations can cause polycystic kidney disease in people.
- New technologies help uncover an unexpected role of glucose in polycystic kidney disease Organ-on-a-chip technology has provided new insight into how glucose uptake affects cyst formation within the kidney.
- Optimizing treatment regimens for adults with chronic hepatitis B A combination treatment regimen could increase long-term clearance of the hepatitis B virus.
- In utero therapy promising for preventing prenatal organ damage from rare genetic disease Treating the rare genetic disorder Pompe disease in utero may halt prenatal organ damage and improve health after birth.
- NIH-funded study finds personalized kidney screening for people with type 1 diabetes could reduce costs, detect disease earlier Taking a personalized approach to kidney disease screening for people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) may reduce the time that chronic kidney disease (CKD) goes undetected, according to a new analysis performed by the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications study group, which is funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. The finding, published in Diabetes Care, provides the basis for the first evidence-based kidney screening model for people with T1D.
- Improved RNA detection technique enhances ability to monitor cellular messages Improvements offer ways to simultaneously track the activity of multiple genes faster and more cheaply.
- How meal timing may reduce obesity and improve metabolic health Mouse study revealed why eating late at night can be linked to weight gain and metabolic disease.
- Signals between nervous system and intestinal cells control protective mucus layer production in gut New research in mice points to a possible connection between nerves, intestinal mucus, and gastrointestinal inflammation.
- Novel liver organoid technology provides insights about fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes Researchers have used new mini-livers or organoids to study fatty liver disease with or without type 2 diabetes.
- Substance produced by gut following bariatric surgery regulates metabolic health in mice New research in mice has identified a way that surgical and dietary weight-loss therapies lead to improvements in metabolic and digestive health.
- Identification of new potential therapeutic approach to blood disorders New way to restart production of fetal hemoglobin suggests a potential therapy for some inherited blood disorders.
- Providing additional lifestyle intervention based on initial progress can improve weight loss to prevent diabetes Customized behavioral weight loss programs can improve weight loss results and may help reduce diabetes risk more effectively than a one-size-fits-all approach.
- Bionic pancreas improves type 1 diabetes management compared to standard insulin delivery methods A device known as a bionic pancreas, which uses next-generation technology to automatically deliver insulin, was more effective at maintaining blood glucose (sugar) levels within normal range than standard-of-care management among people with type 1 diabetes, a new multicenter clinical trial has found.
- Two popular diabetes drugs outperformed others in large clinical trial In a large clinical trial that directly compared four drugs commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes, researchers found that insulin glargine and liraglutide performed the best of four medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to maintain blood glucose levels in the recommended range.
- New insights into overactive bladder urinary symptoms Researchers studied how two manifestations of overactive bladder are related, knowledge that could lead to more personalized treatment approaches.
- A direct line of communication identified between fat tissue and the brain Researchers have discovered sensory nerve cells that send messages from fat tissue to the brain in mice.
- Removing asymptomatic kidney stones during symptomatic stone removal surgery may result in lower risk of recurrence People have a lower chance of future kidney stone problems if smaller, asymptomatic kidney stones are also removed during surgery to remove larger, symptomatic ones.
- Cellular response to bacteria may explain why infection sometimes causes stomach cancer Some people with H. pylori infections may be more likely to develop stomach cancer due to a genetic variation that causes a stronger response to the bacteria.
- Effects of historic redlining persist to elevate risk of death from diabetes Those who lived in areas previously graded as less desirable had significantly worse health outcomes than those who did not, and these negative health impacts persisted for decades.
- A type of ‘step therapy’ is an effective strategy for diabetic eye disease NIH-funded clinical trial finds that starting with a cheaper drug and switching to a more expensive drug as needed leads to good vision outcomes in diabetic macular edema.
- Gut bacteria utilize dietary fiber to release beneficial nutrient with positive effects on metabolism Certain human gut microbes can mine dietary fiber to extract a beneficial nutrient that otherwise would remain inaccessible to the human body.
- Genetic risk factors and disease severity in children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease Results of a study on NAFLD in children show that some genetic variants increase risk of disease, particularly its more severe form.
- Detailed “kidney atlas” characterizes cells of the healthy adult kidney Researchers have produced a reference source that shows in detail how healthy adult human kidneys are organized at the cellular level.
- Type 2 diabetes prevention strategies may not provide protection against cardiovascular diseases in adults Metformin and lifestyle changes reduce type 2 diabetes risk but may not provide additional protection against cardiovascular disease if other risk factors are well controlled.
- Identifying the distinguishing features of bile acid diarrhea New research has provided insight into a particularly distressing form of chronic diarrhea, setting the foundation for improved ways to diagnose and treat it.
- Ferreting out a possible way to inhibit ferritin processing and prevent iron overload Research in mice suggests a possible new approach for treating hemochromatosis, a disease in which blood iron levels are too high.
- LiverTox: An Online Resource for Information on Drug-induced Liver Injury LiverTox is a web-based resource for information on drug-induced liver injury from prescription and OTC drugs, and complementary and alternative medicines.
- How gut bacteria use a bile acid to keep inflammation in check Scientists have discovered how certain bacteria might suppress gastrointestinal inflammation by modifying a bile acid in the gut.
- New insights into body fat tissue and weight gain induced by type 2 diabetes drugs Research in mice brings new understanding of weight gain caused by some type 2 diabetes drugs, which could lead to diabetes treatments with fewer side effects.
- New oral therapy for type 1 diabetes can delay disease progression and lower insulin requirements for at least 2 years A small clinical trial has highlighted a new possible oral therapy to delay type 1 diabetes progression and a possible new biological marker to monitor the disease.
- New insights into relationships between genetic risk factors for type 2 diabetes and metabolic conditions Previously identified groups of genetic variations that increase the risk of type 2 diabetes may also influence the risk of developing other metabolic conditions.
- Potential new therapeutic targets to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia Two recent studies explored new potential approaches for treating prostate enlargement.
- Studies identify immune cell types associated with progression of different forms of kidney disease Two recent findings shed new light on how the immune system can affect kidney health.
- NIDDK efforts to promote scientific workforce diversity The NIDDK is committed to overcoming the dearth of minority scientists across its mission areas.
- Story of Discovery: The NIDDK provides foundational research support for first FDA-approved therapy to treat the metabolic disease primary hyperoxaluria type 1 For many decades, the NIDDK and the NIH have supported foundational research to better understand the metabolic dysfunction underlying primary hyperoxaluria type 1.
- NIH awards $170 million for precision nutrition study The National Institutes of Health is awarding $170 million over five years, pending the availability of funds, to clinics and centers across the country for a new study that will develop algorithms to predict individual responses to food and dietary routines.
- NIH launches first phase of $9.8 million competition to accelerate development of neuromodulation therapies The National Institutes of Health has launched the first phase of the Neuromod Prize, a $9.8 million competition to accelerate the development of neuromodulation therapies — targeted treatments that adjust nerve activity to improve organ function.
- Early and intensive control of blood glucose is associated with reduced risk of diabetic foot ulcers in people with type 1 diabetes Diabetic foot ulcers may be preventable through early and intensive control of blood glucose levels in people with type 1 diabetes.
- The sweet spot: how a gut sensory cell determines preference for sugar over artificial sweetener Researchers have discovered how gut sensory cells discern nutritive sugars from non-caloric artificial sweeteners to guide an animal’s preferences.