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A new grant awarded to the American Diabetes Association will fund research regarding how hormones in the gut could one day prevent or treat type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The American Diabetes Association- Novo Nordisk Clinical/Translational Research Award will provide $1.2 million to support researchers studying the effects of intestinal hormones on obesity and pre-diabetes, two risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The researchers will study the role of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and other hormones in people at risk for or with diabetes. GLP-1 is a hormone secreted in the intestine during digestion that decreases blood glucose levels.

The two grants, totaling $600,000 per grant, will fund investigation in two key areas:
1. Preventing or treating obesity, pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. The research will help to better understand the role of incretins, including GLP-1, in the progression of obesity, pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. The findings could provide more insight into what biomarkers might be used to allow earlier intervention to prevent and/or treat obesity and/or pre-diabetes before type 2 diabetes develops.

2. Regulating weight, satiety and cardiovascular risk factors. The investigation will look beyond the direct effects of incretins, including GLP-1, and into areas such as weight control, satiety and the effects on cardiovascular risk factors such as triglycerides and blood pressure.

These studies re encouraging because they point to a situation where GLP-1 treatments can positively affect glucose metabolism and may increase beta cell mass, two important elements that could someday lead to a cure for type 2 diabetes.