Innovative Researchers

The Diabetes Division of the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio is the most prominent academic center for combining basic and clinical research in the field of Type 2 diabetes in the United States. Nine full time UTHSCSA faculty members, funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the VA Medical Center, American Diabetes Association, and local granting agencies, are actively involved in cellular/molecular and clinical research, while 6 diabetes faculty members provide clinical care to diabetic patients at the Texas Diabetes Institute (TDI).

The combined clinical and basic molecular/cellular research activities of our faculty members have established the Diabetes Division at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio as the premier center in the U.S. and worldwide for translational research in the field of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. In 2014, an independent group recently rated the UT Health San Antonio Diabetes Division as the #1 center for diabetes research in the entire U.S.

The Diabetes Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston is part of an integrated program for diabetes and related endocrinology and metabolism research overseen by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Information on all ongoing NIDDK Research Centers can be found on the Diabetes Research Centers website. 

The overall goal of the DRC is to support and facilitate innovative research towards the elucidation of the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus and the pathophysiologic basis of diabetic complications, development of new treatments and the implementation of translational research in diverse diabetes populations. The DRC seeks to achieve these long-range goals and objectives via the following objective:

"To create and sustain an exceptional environment that supports innovative, multidisciplinary and collaborative research in diabetes and related areas of endocrinology and metabolism."

Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Derived Exosomes Alleviate Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

by Reversing Peripheral Insulin Resistance and Relieving β‑Cell Destruction

Abstract: Exosomes are nanosized extracellular vesicles (EVs) that show great promise in tissue regeneration and injury repair as mesenchymal stem cell (MSC). MSC has been shown to alleviate diabetes mellitus (DM) in both animal models and clinical trials. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether exosomes from human umbilical cord MSC (hucMSC-ex) have a therapeutic effect on type 2 DM (T2DM). We established a rat model of T2DM using a high-fat diet and streptozotocin (STZ). We found that the intravenous injection of hucMSC-ex reduced blood glucose levels as a main paracrine approach of MSC. HucMSC-ex partially reversed insulin resistance in T2DM indirectly to accelerate glucose metabolism. HucMSC-ex restored the phosphorylation (tyrosine site) of the insulin receptor substrate 1 and protein kinase B in T2DM, promoted expression and membrane translocation of glucose transporter 4 in muscle, and increased storage of glycogen in the liver to maintain glucose homeostasis. HucMSC-ex inhibited STZ-induced β-cell apoptosis to restore the insulin-secreting function of T2DM. Taken together, exosomes from hucMSC can alleviate T2DM by reversing peripheral insulin resistance and relieving β-cell destruction, providing an alternative approach for T2DM treatment.

Therapeutic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes in the Treatment of Eye Diseases

Abstract: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were, due to their immunomodulatory and pro-angiogenic characteristics, extensively explored as new therapeutic agents in cell-based therapy of uveitis, glaucoma, retinal and ocular surface

diseases. Since it was recently revealed that exosomes play an important role in biological functions of MSCs, herewith we summarized current knowledge about the morphology, structure, phenotype and functional characteristics of MSC derived exosomes emphasizing their therapeutic potential in the treatment of eye diseases. MSC-derived exosomes were as efficient as transplanted MSCs in limiting the extent of eye injury and inflammation. Immediately after intravitreal injection, MSC-derived exosomes, due to nano-dimension, diffused rapidly throughout the retina and significantly attenuated retinal damage and inflammation.

MSC-derived exosomes successfully delivered trophic and immunomodulatory factors to the inner retina and efficiently promoted survival and neuritogenesis of injured retinal ganglion cells. MSC-derived exosomes efficiently suppressed migration of inflammatory cells, attenuated detrimental Th1 and Th17 cell-driven immune response and ameliorated experimental autoimmune uveitis. MSC-derived exosomes were able to fuse with the lysosomes within corneal cells, enabling delivering of MSC-derived active β-glucuronidase and consequent catabolism of accumulated glycosaminoglycans, indicating their therapeutic potential in the treatment of Mucopolysaccharidosis VII (Sly Syndrome). Importantly, beneficent effects were noticed only in animals that received MSC-derived exosomes and were not seen after therapy with fibroblasts-derived exosomes confirming specific therapeutic potential of MSCs and their products in the treatment of eye diseases. In conclusion, MSC-derived exosomes represent potentially new therapeutic agents in the therapy of degenerative and inflammatory ocular diseases.