Projects
TRANSCEND: Transforming Diabetes: Novel Strategies Centered on Pancreatic Cell Plasticity
PI Andreia Gomes
Team members
Andreia Filipa dos Santos Gomes1, Regina Menezes1, Rogério Ribeiro1, Emília Borba Alves1, Maria Inês Farrim1, Sofia Ferreira1, Dragan Milenkovic2
1CBIOS, ECTS, Lusófona University
2NC State University, USA
From 1/01/26 to 30/06/27
Description
Diabetes is a major global health challenge, with nearly 578 million adults projected to be affected by 2030 and 700 million by 2045. The disease carries substantial human and economic burdens, and current therapies often fail to fully restore metabolic control. The TRANSCEND project aims to address this by investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and the capacity of α-cells to transdifferentiate into insulin producing β-like cells. Harnessing this cellular plasticity could lead to novel, targeted diabetes therapies.
TRANSCEND employs a multi-omics, integrative approach combining clinical, biochemical, and molecular data with advanced bioinformatics tools. The study profiles individuals with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes alongside healthy controls, collecting detailed sociodemographic, anthropometric, lifestyle, dietary, cardiovascular, and metabolic biomarker data. This enables mapping of clinical features to β-cell function, revealing disease mechanisms and potential early warning signals.
A key objective is to identify novel molecular targets involved in β-cell dysfunction and α-to-β transdifferentiation. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells and fecal samples from a selected subpopulation will undergo transcriptomic, epigenomic, and microbiota analyses. This will uncover changes in gene expression, DNA methylation, histone modifications, and microbial composition that influence pancreatic cell behavior. Integration with public datasets will strengthen findings and identify robust, biologically meaningful targets.
Expected outcomes include discovery of genes, pathways, and non-coding RNAs regulating pancreatic cell function, and insights into how gut microbiota and metabolic factors affect β-cell health. The project also explores sex-specific differences, supporting personalized diabetes interventions. Correlating molecular findings with clinical data may identify minimally invasive biomarkers, reducing reliance on direct pancreatic assessment.
Beyond knowledge generation, TRANSCEND focuses on translation, disseminating results through publications, conferences, and social media to ensure broad impact.
In summary, TRANSCEND integrates multi-omics and clinical insights to uncover therapeutic targets, biomarkers, and translational strategies, with the potential to transform diabetes care and enable more effective, personalized treatments.
Partners
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62658/
Funding
Seed Funding (COFAC)
