Project Grant R01DK145085

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases awarded The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia $889,998 on August 10, 2026, under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847) to develop and validate a model for early identification and prevention of type 1 diabetes using polygenic risk score screening and CAR-T-regulatory cell therapy.

The project combines genetic data and electronic health records from 4,000 pediatric participants—3,117 already recruited—to develop a polygenic risk score algorithm that identifies children at highest risk for type 1 diabetes before symptoms appear. The research will screen high-risk individuals for diabetes-related antibodies and biomarkers at six-month intervals. High polygenic risk score individuals who are double- or triple-antibody positive will be recruited to receive CAR-T-regulatory cells to evaluate safety and efficacy of targeted cell therapy as a preventive intervention. The work builds on 115 high-risk children already identified and tracked through the Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) Network at CHOP.

The award is structured as a Project Grant and funds work performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The period of performance runs through April 30, 2031. The program aims to create a clinical-practice model for predicting type 1 diabetes risk early and delivering personalized preventive therapies to forestall disease onset in genetically vulnerable children.