The fourth Tuesday in March is #AmericanDiabetesAlertDay. Today, we highlight this global health concern and emerging standards of care for type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and how #primarycellmodels might support the ongoing research to combat these diseases.
Though characterized by dysfunction of pancreatic beta cells and hyperglycemia, #diabetes is a multisystem #metabolicdisorder affecting the adipose tissue, cardiovascular system, liver, and reproductive systems. [1] The strong correlation between obesity and type 2 diabetes has led to the rise of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP1R) agonists approved first for type 2 diabetes treatment, and now for obesity treatment. [2] The most widely used #GLP-1 medications, #dulaglutide, #semaglutide, and #tirzepatide, have proven to reduce HbA1c levels and obesity. Beyond improvements in glucose control and weight management, GLP-1Ras have shown evidence-based reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events (#MACE), heart failure, liver disease, and kidney disease. [2,3]
While type 1 diabetes is typically viewed as an early-onset disorder, the prevalence of adult-onset type 1 diabetes diagnosis is increasing. Older adults with type 1 diabetes are especially vulnerable to multi-organ dysfunction and cognitive decline. [4] Given the challenges in weight management and disease in adults with type 1 diabetes, GLP-1 medicines are also being investigated in this clinical background.
In this growing and innovative field, having physiologically-relevant in vitro models for early studies are more crucial than ever. ScienCell offers a wide variety of primary cell types to model multiorgan responses. With primary human #preadipocytes (##visceral and #subcutaneous), hepatic endothelial cells, cardiovascular endothelial cells, and endothelial cells from reproductive systems, you can directly study adipose and vascular responses.
Harness the potential of ScienCell’s primary cell models to tackle and study the complex, multisystem effects of diabetes with your breakthrough research!
[1] Abel ED, Gloyn AL, Evans-Molina C, Joseph JJ, Misra S, Pajvani UB, Simcox J, Susztak K, Drucker DJ. Diabetes mellitus-Progress and opportunities in the evolving epidemic. Cell. 2024 Jul 25;187(15):3789-3820. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.06.029. PMID: 39059357; PMCID: PMC11299851.
[2] Drucker DJ. Efficacy and Safety of GLP-1 Medicines for Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity. Diabetes Care. 2024 Nov 1;47(11):1873-1888. doi: 10.2337/dci24-0003. PMID: 38843460.
[3] Jastreboff AM, le Roux CW, Stefanski A, Aronne LJ, Halpern B, Wharton S, Wilding JPH, Perreault L, Zhang S, Battula R, Bunck MC, Ahmad NN, Jouravskaya I; SURMOUNT-1 Investigators. Tirzepatide for Obesity Treatment and Diabetes Prevention. N Engl J Med. 2025 Mar 6;392(10):958-971. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2410819. Epub 2024 Nov 13. PMID: 39536238.
[4] Tomic D, Harding JL, Jenkins AJ, Shaw JE, Magliano DJ. The epidemiology of type 1 diabetes mellitus in older adults. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2025 Feb;21(2):92-104. doi: 10.1038/s41574-024-01046-z. Epub 2024 Oct 24. PMID: 39448829.