# Decode the Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on Human Pancreas

> **NIH NIH R01** · WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV · 2021 · $440,068

## Abstract

Abstract.
Recent clinical data has suggested a bidirectional interaction between Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) and
diabetes.
Individuals with diabetes and severe obesity are more likely to be
complications, and have a higher COVID-19
mortality rate
symptomatic
. Conversely, new-onset diabetes and severe
, are at a higher risk for
metabolic complications of pre-existing diabetes have been observed in COVID-19 patients. Thus, there is a
strong need to understand the pathology and mechanism of pancreatic dysfunction in COVID-19 patients. Here,
we demonstrate the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in pancreatic endocrine cells in autopsy samples from COVID-19
patients. Single cell RNA-seq and immunostaining confirmed that multiple types of pancreatic islet cells are
susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, eliciting a cellular stress response and the induction of chemokines. Upon SARS-
CoV-2 infection, beta cells show a decreased expression of insulin and the increased expression of alpha and
acinar cell markers, including glucagon and PRSS1/trypsin1, respectively, suggesting cellular
transdifferentiation.
Hyperion technology to examine the pathogenesis of autopsy samples
of COVID-19 patients. In addition, we will use human islets and a vascularized human pancreatic organoid
models to systematically evaluate the role of direct infection and paracrine inflammation signal on human
endocrine cells cellular identities, function and survival.
In the proposal, we will apply state-of-art
Through this study, we would expect to provide a
systematic overview of the pathological changes in the pancreas of COVID-19 patients, as well as a detailed
mechanism to understand endocrine cell dysfunction, which will pave the road to the development of novel
therapy to protect endocrine cell function in COVID-19 patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10319780
- **Project number:** 1R01DK130454-01
- **Recipient organization:** WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV
- **Principal Investigator:** Shuibing Chen
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $440,068
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-07-05 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10319780

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10319780, Decode the Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on Human Pancreas (1R01DK130454-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10319780. Licensed CC0.

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