Project Grant R01DK148692

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases awarded the University of Miami $2,962,847 on September 1, 2026, under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847) to dissect the cellular dynamics and mechanisms of human pancreatic beta-cell regeneration using a novel in vivo model.

The recipient will leverage an innovative transplantation system in which human pancreatic tissue slices and progenitor cells are engrafted into the anterior chamber of the eye of immunodeficient mice, creating a vascularized niche that permits longitudinal, real-time visualization of islet growth, beta-cell neogenesis, and functional maturation in living human pancreatic tissue. The work addresses a major gap in diabetes research: the absence of models enabling direct observation of human pancreatic regeneration in vivo. Current approaches rely on static histology, pseudotime cell trajectory predictions, or in vitro systems that lack dynamic blood supply and cannot replicate native pancreatic complexity.

The project comprises two specific aims. Aim 1 explores the intrinsic developmental capacity of sorted adult pancreatic progenitor cells. Aim 2 investigates regeneration in engrafted adult pancreatic slices, where progenitors occupy defined anatomical niches and respond to activation signals from surrounding cells, including those related to tissue stress, and examines the enhancement of islet formation by regenerative agents.

The award obligates $2,962,847 with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2030. Work is performed in Miami, Florida.