Endocrinology

The purpose of this investigation is to examine NADPH oxidase as a source of reactive oxygen species contributing to aberrant microvascular function in otherwise healthy women with a history of GDM.

This is a multicenter, Phase Ib, open-label, siplizumab dose-finding study in individuals aged 8-45 years with a Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) diagnosis. within 18 months of V0. Participants will be randomized 1:1:1:1 to one of four possible siplizumab dosing arms. All dosing arms will receive weekly siplizumab doses for a total of 12 weeks. After the completion of treatment, participants will undergo follow-up visits at weeks 12, 24, 36 and 52 which include longitudinal MMTTs. If indicated, participants will enter into long-term safety monitoring for up to an additional 48 weeks. Blood samples for mechanistic analyses will be obtained during the treatment phase and thereafter. Adults aged 18- 45 will be enrolled initially at the study sites.

The primary objective is to identify a safe, metabolically favorable, dosing regimen for siplizumab in patients with type 1 diabetes that induces changes in T cell phenotypes observed with alefacept therapy in new-onset T1DM.

The secondary objectives are to:

1. Assess the safety profile of siplizumab in recently diagnosed T1DM.
2. Assess the effects of siplizumab on residual beta cell function in recently diagnosed T1DM participants.

The purpose of this study is to assess the safety and efficacy (including durability) of up to 2 REACT/rilparencel injections given 12 weeks (-14 days to +28 days) apart and delivered percutaneously into biopsied and non-biopsied contralateral kidneys in participants with T2DM and CKD.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is the most common chronic complication of diabetes, affecting about 50% of patients with diabetes and leading to severe morbidity, poor quality of life, high mortality, and high health care costs. Due to the complex structure and anatomy of the peripheral nervous system, DPN presents with a very broad spectrum of clinical symptoms and deficits, including severe pain, sensory deficits, foot ulcers and amputations. Presently there is no treatment for DPN and even with good blood glucose control DPN develops especially in patients with type 2 diabetes. There is a need to identify effective interventions for DPN. Preclinical studies have provided evidence that the combination of fish oil and salsalate is an effective treatment of DPN. The human subject study to be performed will examine the effect of fish oil with and without salsalate on the blood lipid profile and circulating metabolites of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Fish oil is an excellent source for the nutrition dependent omega-3 PUFA, primarily eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6). These fatty acids are the source of anti-inflammatory metabolites known as resolvin, neuroprotectin and maresin. Preclinical studies have also demonstrated that the metabolites of EPA and DHA are neuroprotective. Furthermore, when fish oil is combined with salsalate the production of these metabolites is increased in vivo. Thus, the investigators hypothesize that fish oil and salsalate will be an effective therapy of DPN. However, prior to doing a formal study of the effect of fish oil + salsalate on DPN there is a need to learn more about what concentration combination will provide the most efficacious effect on the omega-3 index (defined as the sum of EPA and DHA, as a percentage of total fatty acids in red blood cells) and that will safely increase the production of the anti-inflammatory metabolites. These studies will be performed at two sites the University of Iowa (Dr. Yorek) and University of Michigan (Dr. Pop-Busui) by treating human subjects with type 2 diabetes and DPN with either 2g or 4g of fish oil per day (capsules) for 4 months and then adding salsalate 1.5 g or 3g per day (tablets) to the fish oil treatments for an additional 2 months. At baseline and after treatment with fish oil alone and after treatment with the combination of fish oil and salsalate the omega-3 index and levels of circulating omega-3 PUFA metabolites will be determined as primary endpoints. Secondary endpoints will include determination of circulatory inflammatory markers and non-invasive measurements for DPN. The risks to subjects are minimal and are very reasonable in relation to the importance of the knowledge to be gained.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common complication of obesity which can progress to deadly complications like end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. In the wake of the obesity epidemic, NAFLD is becoming the main etiology of liver transplantation in the US. Currently, there are no FDA approved pharmacological treatments for NAFLD. Weight loss through lifestyle modifications, pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery can be effective strategies for the management of NAFLD. Even though substantial weight loss and improvement in NAFLD can be achieved with bariatric surgery, only a small proportion of patients with obesity undergo surgery. Very-low calorie diets (VLCD) are replacement meals manufactured to substitute natural foods and limited total intake of 800-960 kcal in divided meals. Very low-calorie diets can produce substantial weight loss of 10% over 2 to 3 months. We hypothesize that VLCD reduce liver steatosis and, fibrosis measured non-invasively with transient elastography. Our main aim is #1 to assess the effect of VLCD on liver fatty infiltration and fibrosis. We also have three exploratory aims exploring novel pathogenic factors that mediate the improvement of NAFLD by VLCD: #2 assess the effect of VLCD on micro RNAs (miRs) associated with pathophysiology of NAFLD: #3 assess the effect of VLCD on changes of salivary and fecal microbiome in the setting of NAFLD: #4 to determine the effect of VLCD on platelet function. This pilot project will produce preliminary data for the development of a larger grant application to study the efficacy of VLCD in the management of NAFLD. Furthermore, it will potentially identify factors that mediate improvement of NAFLD after VLCD. We will treat 10 subjects with obesity and NAFLD for 8 weeks with VLCD or lower calorie diet (control group) and obtain transient elastography before and after the interventions along with other measurements of interest. Our project may have significant impact by establishing VLCD as a clinically effective option for the improvement of liver steatosis and fibrosis in patients with obesity and NAFLD ineligible or without access to bariatric surgery.

The purpose of this investigation is to examine the role of oxidative stress in aberrant microvascular function in otherwise healthy women with a history of GDM.

This randomized phase III trial studies whether weight loss in overweight and obese women may prevent breast cancer from coming back (recurrence). Previous studies have found that women who are overweight or obese when their breast cancer is found (diagnosed) have a greater risk of their breast cancer recurring, as compared to women who were thinner when their cancer was diagnosed. This study aims to test whether overweight or obese women who take part in a weight loss program after being diagnosed with breast cancer have a lower rate of cancer recurrence as compared to women who do not take part in the weight loss program. This study will help to show whether weight loss programs should be a part of breast cancer treatment.

Cystic Fibrosis Related Diabetes has been identified by the CF community as one of the top ten priorities for CF research. In CF clinical decline due to dysglycemia begins early, prior to diagnosis of diabetes and increases mortality from pulmonary disease. There is presently no way to determine who, of those with dysglycemia, will experience clinical compromise. However, the CF Center in Milan has found that measurable age- and sex-dependent variables on oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) predict β-cell failure-the primary driver of decline in CF. the investigators propose a multi-center trial to develop nomograms of age and sex dependent reference values for OGTT-derived measures including glucose, insulin, c-peptide, and the resultant OGTT-derived estimates of β-cell function, β cell sensitivity to glucose, and oral glucose insulin sensitivity (OGIS) and to determine correlation of these with clinical status (FEV-1, BMI z score, number of pulmonary exacerbations over the past 12 months). In a subset of the cohort the investigators will perform additional studies to determine possible mechanisms driving abnormal β cell function, including the role of lean body mass (as measured by DXA), impact of incretin (GLP-1, GIP) and islet hormones (glucagon, pancreatic polypeptide) on β cell function and the relationship of reactive hypoglycemia and catecholamine responses to β cell function, as well as the relationship of β cell sensitivity to glucose as determined by our model to abnormalities in blood glucose found in a period of free living after the study (determined by continuous glucose monitoring measures (Peak glucose, time spent \>200 mg/dl, standard deviation). the investigators will also develop a biobank of stored samples to allow expansion to the full cohort if warranted and to enable future studies of dysglycemia and diabetes in CF. the investigator's eventual goal is utilization of the nomograms to determine the minimum number of measures to accurately predict risk for clinical decline from dysglycemia in CF.