# Einstein-Mount Sinai Diabetes Research Center

> **NIH NIH P30** · ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2024 · $313,084

## Abstract

Diabetes affects some 30 million people in the US. Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes ultimately result from failure
of beta cell mass and/or function. Human islets and beta cells are similar to their rodent counterparts in many
ways, but also differ in important ways. Accordingly, the NIDDK, ADA and JDRF are increasing their focus on
research in human beta cell and islet biology. Indeed, research focused on human islets is essential for
translating important insights from rodent islets and beta cells into significant advances in human diabetes
research and treatment. The Human Islet and Adenovirus Core (HIAC), located at Mount Sinai, was created
five years ago to support the research base of the Einstein-Sinai Diabetes Research Center (ES-DRC), as well
as regional investigators pursuing islet biology, by providing special emphasis on human islets. During the
previous funding cycle, the HIAC provided expertise and services to 50 investigators supporting 41 publications
and 22 federally and non-federally funded grants. Consequently, we propose to expand these sought-after
services and to further enhance access and availability of islet-relevant education, services and technology to
diabetes researchers in the New York City region. The first mission is to provide key advice, methods,
technology and infrastructure to assist investigators in the use of human islets for research, with the goal of
furthering understanding of normal and pathophysiologic islet cell growth and function. The second mission is
to generate, and make available to the ES-DRC community, reagents and tools including adenovirus or lentivirus
viral vectors for gene delivery of cDNAs and shRNAs of interest beta cells and other islet cell types to study beta
cell regeneration, differentiation, survival and function. These missions will be achieved by developing the
following Specific Aims: 1) To assist new islet investigators in obtaining in accessing human and rodent islets
and related cell lines for use in investigator-driven studies; 2) To train students, postdoctoral fellows, investigators
and technical staff in the design and use of molecular, cellular and physiologic approaches to human and rodent
islet biology and pathophysiology; 3) To provide pure populations of live human beta cells using fluorescence-
activated cell sorting (FACS) and/or to facilitate the use of specialized protocols, adenovirus/lentivirus and
transduction methods for gene delivery to rodent and human beta cells and islets that enhance investigator-
initiated research; 4) To conduct specialized assays for the determination of insulin secretion, islet bioenergetics
and beta cell differentiation, proliferation, survival and mass in vitro and in vivo using syngeneic, allotransplant
or xenotransplant of rodent/human islets into immunocompromised euglycemic or diabetic mouse models; and
5) To assist investigators with study design and data interpretation to advance experimental approaches focused
on the molecular...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10832989
- **Project number:** 5P30DK020541-49
- **Recipient organization:** ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Adolfo Garcia-Ocana
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $313,084
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1996-12-01 → 2025-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10832989

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10832989, Einstein-Mount Sinai Diabetes Research Center (5P30DK020541-49). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10832989. Licensed CC0.

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