Grants of SEK 2.6 million for diabetes research

Each year, the Swedish Diabetes Foundation distributes grants to promising projects in the field. For 2025, the foundation has decided to allocate a total of SEK 26 million to research, of which SEK 2,6 million has been awarded to Uppsala University.

Five researchers have been granted new funding this year. The largest grant was awarded to Anders Tengholm, Professor at the Department of Medical Cell Biology.

“The project aims to understand the mechanisms behind the release of blood glucose-regulating hormones from the pancreatic islets of Langerhans. Insulin is the most well-known hormone produced by the islets, and it is widely recognised that diabetes is caused by insufficient insulin secretion. Glucagon is another hormone that exhibits abnormalities in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and a third hormone, somatostatin, is believed to play a role in blood glucose regulation by influencing the cells that release insulin and glucagon,” he explains.

“Using advanced microscopy techniques, we can measure changes in signalling molecules and activity in the different hormone-producing cell types. Our goal is to understand how hormone secretion is regulated and to identify abnormalities in diabetes. Increased knowledge of cell signalling within the islets will improve our understanding of disease mechanisms and provide a basis for developing new treatments for diabetes.”

What does this grant mean for your research?

“The grant is of great significance to my research and will be used to fund salaries, materials, and equipment. I am very pleased and grateful that the Swedish Diabetes Foundation has chosen to support this project.”

Robin Widing