2023 Annual Report

for prevention, healing, and the cure

Diabetes Action at a Glance

501(c)3 non-profit registered tax-exempt organization.

$55 million+ in research and programs since 1990.

33 years since our founding in 1990.

37 volunteer members on our Medical Advisory Board.

53 summer camps supported in 2023.

424 research grants funded since 1990.

Highly rated by all major charity watchdog groups.

$0 in advertising as we do not promote products/services.

“Over the past 33 years, Diabetes Action has focused on funding research to prevent and treat type 1 and type 2 diabetes.”

Over the past 33 years, Diabetes Action has focused on funding research to prevent and treat type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In the 1990s, Diabetes Action helped fund some of the initial research by Dr. Svetlana Mojsov at The Rockefeller University that led to the exciting discovery of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). Several type 2 diabetes and obesity medications were developed using this research and are now helping millions of people. However, these medications may not be an option for everyone for a variety of reasons including costs and concerns over side-effects. Additional research is still necessary to advance the science on the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes and its complications.

American Indian youth have the highest prevalence of type 2 diabetes and obesity of all ethnic groups in the U.S. In 2023, Diabetes Action continued funding a project at the University of Arizona where Dr. Francine Gachupin has been addressing the problem of childhood obesity by using a culturally relevant, school-based, community-led intervention.

Other projects that Diabetes Action funded over the past year include a study at the Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope where Dr. Lei Jiang is researching obesity-related metabolic disorders and a study at Virginia Tech where Dr. Dongmin Liu is investigating a natural compound to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Additionally in 2023, Diabetes Action funded three promising studies that work toward a cure for type 1 diabetes: Dr. Lorenzo at Albert Einstein College of Medicine is using special proteins to selectively inhibit T cells responsible for destroying beta cells, Dr. Faustman at Massachusetts General Hospital is conducting a human clinical trial using the generic BCG vaccine to lower blood sugar without insulin in children with diabetes, and Dr. Sobel at Georgetown University has created a device to allow localized immunotherapy of transplanted islet cells.

In this annual report you can read about these studies as well as many others that your donations have made possible. We are thankful for your support!

Best wishes for a healthy 2024,

Pat DeVoe, RN, BSN, PRESIDENT

Medical Advisory Board

James Ankrum, PhD

Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering

University of Iowa

Staley A. Brod, MD Professor of Neurology, Division of MS/Neuroimmunology

Medical College of Wisconsin, Hub for Collaborative Medicine

Tom L. Broderick, PhD Professor, Department of Physiology Midwestern University

Gregory Brower, DVM, PhD Professor, Medical Education University of South Alabama

Melissa Brown, PhD, RD Chair and Associate Professor, Nutrition and Public Health

University of Saint Joseph

Weiqin Chen, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Physiology

Augusta University Medical College of Georgia

Teresa DiLorenzo, PhD Professor, Departments of Medicine, and Microbiology & Immunology

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Ben Gerber, MD, MPH Professor, Population and Quantitative Health Sciences

University of Massachusetts Medical School

Robert Gilkerson, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Biology The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Brigid Gregg, MD

Assistant Professor, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology

University of Michigan

Michael Haller, MD

Professor and Chief of Pediatric Endocrinology

University of Florida

Ruth Harris, PhD

Senior Research Scientist, Center for Neuroinflammation and Metabolic Disease

Georgia State University

Robert L. Judd, PhD Department Head and Boshell Professor Auburn University

Steven Koevary, PhD

Professor and Chair of Biomedical Sciences and Disease

New England College of Optometry

Guim Kwon, PhD

Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Suzanne Laychock, PhD

Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo

Dongmin Liu, PhD

Professor, Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise

Virginia Tech

Angela Lombardi, PhD

Assistant Professor, Departments of Medicine, and Microbiology & Immunology

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Steven Malin, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Health

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Lucy D. Mastrandrea, MD, PhD

Professor, Division Chief, Endocrinology/Diabetes Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo

William Mayhan, PhD Dean, Basic Biomedical Science

Sanford School of Medicine

Joshua W. Miller, PhD

Professor & Chair of the Department of Nutritional Sciences

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Raghu G. Mirmira, MD, PhD Professor of Medicine

The University of Chicago

Svetlana Mojsov, PhD Research Associate Professor Rockefeller University

Takahisa Nakamura, PhD Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

Ibrahim Tarik Ozbolat, PhD Professor, Biomedical Engineering Penn State University

Prashant Rajbhandari, PhD Assistant Professor

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Erinn T. Rhodes, MD, MPH, MS

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Harvard Medical School

Gaetano Santulli, MD, PhD

Associate Professor, Departments of Medicine and Molecular Pharmacology

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Mihaela Stefan-Lifshitz, PhD

Research Associate Professor, Department of Medicine

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Ya-Xiong Tao, PhD

Professor, Physiology

Auburn University

Farook Thameem, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry

Kuwait University

Bin Xu, PhD

Assistant Professor, Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise

North Carolina Central University

Kai Xu, PhD

Associate Professor, Surgery

University of Maryland School of Medicine

Jody Ye-Miller, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Li Zhang, MD, PhD

Assistant Investigator of Diabetes and Immunology

Indiana Biosciences Research Institute

Kai Zou, PhD, FACSM

Associate Professor, Exercise & Health Science

University of Massachusetts Boston

Our Mission

Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation is committed to the prevention and treatment of diabetes and to the funding of innovative, promising research aimed at finding a cure for diabetes and diabetes related complications.

Our Focus

• Promising research to find a cure for diabetes

• Innovative research to prevent and treat diabetes

• American Indian diabetes prevention program

• Children’s camp scholarship program

• Diabetes education programs

Assurance that your donation is used wisely

With a consistently low overhead and small, dedicated staff, Diabetes Action strives to remain one of the most efficient charities. Diabetes Action is especially proud to have received the highest ratings from the following organizations:

BETTER BUSINESS WISE GIVING ALLIANCE

Diabetes Action has earned the right to display the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance charity seal of approval for meeting their comprehensive, in-depth evaluation of Diabetes Action’s governance, finances, fund raising practices, solicitations, and informational materials.

• see give.org

CHARITY WATCH

Diabetes Action is one of the few diabetes organizations to receive an “A+” rating. Charity Watch conducts an in-depth, financial analysis of a charity’s audited financial statements along with their tax forms and other reports so that donors will know how their charitable dollars are really being spent.

• see charitywatch.org

BEST IN AMERICA

The Independent Charities Seal of Excellence is awarded to the members of Independent Charities of America that have, upon rigorous independent review, been able to certify, document, and demonstrate on an annual basis that they meet the highest standards of public accountability, program effectiveness, and cost effectiveness.

• see best-charities.org

Diabetes Action has received Charity Navigator’s highest 4-star rating for financial health, accountability, and transparency.

• see charitynavigator.org

CHARITY NAVIGATOR

Research Program

Cure for Type 1 Diabetes

RESEARCHER: Teresa P. DiLorenzo, Ph.D. Professor

Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx, NY

PURPOSE: Beta cells in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas are responsible for making insulin. This hormone is needed to regulate the use of sugar in the body. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the T cells of the immune system kill the beta cells and insulin can no longer be made. Inhibiting or eliminating all of the T cells of the body could prevent, slow, or even reverse type 1 diabetes. However, this would lead to serious side effects such as increased infections and cancer, which are normally battled by T cells.

The new approach by Dr. DiLorenzo’s lab utilizes special proteins that only inhibit the T cells that are responsible for destroying the beta cells. This should prevent, slow, or reverse the disease without having bad side effects.

RESEARCHER: Denise L. Faustman, MD, PhD, Associate Professor

Harvard Medical School and Director Immunobiology Laboratory

Massachusetts General Hospital Charlestown, MA

PURPOSE: Dr. Faustman’s research centers on the benefits of BCG vaccine even for those with established type 1 diabetes. These discoveries now allow people beyond new onset diabetes to benefit from this innovative therapy. The BCG vaccine is a 125-year-old generic drug originally identified for prevention of tuberculosis, but now clinical trials show the benefits extend to those with type 1 diabetes, autoimmune multiple sclerosis, and in the broad prevention of infections. In 2018 the Faustman research group identified that repeat BCG vaccines could lower blood sugars from 10-18% by correcting an underlying defect in metabolism of white blood cells. This benefit was seen even in those who have had type 1 diabetes for decades. With BCG treatment, the blood sugars stably dropped by allowing the diabetic white blood cells to now use sugar as an energy source and yielded safe and fine regulatory blood sugar control. In 2022, a Phase II double blinded clinical trial began with subjects from 11-18 years of age who had diabetes for more than two years. Dr. Faustman’s group, through clinical trial, is also showing the susceptibility of type 1 diabetes to infections which also improved with this established and safe vaccine.

RESEARCHER: Douglas Sobel, MD

Professor of Pediatrics, Chief Pediatric Endocrinology Georgetown University Washington, DC

PURPOSE: Islet cell transplantation is a promising treatment of type 1 diabetes. However, the present method for transplanting islets is not very effective and causes severe side effects due to immunosuppressant therapy. To avoid such toxicities Dr. Sobel’s lab devised a device where only small non-toxic amounts of immunomodulatory drugs within the device prevents rejection of islets in mice. Dr. Sobel found two combinations of drugs within the device that cures diabetes. To develop this method to cure diabetes, this study proposes to determine: 1) which single drug within the combination of drugs has the most protecting effect on transplanted MIN cells; 2) what is the minimum drug dose(s) required to inhibit MIN rejection 3) how does the drug work; and 4) determine if mice previously transplanted with a device are able to effectively receive a second device. Successful completion of this proposal may allow future work to create a similar device to cure diabetes in humans.

GRANT TITLE: A Program for the Cure of Type 1 Diabetes Using a Generic Drug: Phase II

GRANT TITLE: Precision Biologics for the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes

GRANT TITLE: Curing Diabetes Through Local Immunotherapy of Transplanted Cells

Islet Cell Research

Diabetes Prevention

Complementary / Nutrition Research

RESEARCHER: Ibrahim T. Ozbolat, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

The Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA

PURPOSE: In Dr. Ozbolat’s original project, he aimed to bioprint prevascularized pancreatic islets made of mouse insulinoma cells and rat heart microvascular endothelial cells into a perfusion bed in order to create a perfusable platform for microcirculation of the engineered islets. With additional funding, Dr. Ozbolat proposes a new approach and aim to 3D build rationally designed engineered pancreatic organ substitutes via 3D bioprinting using stem-derived vascularized human islets. Accomplishing these goals will establish a novel approach in fabrication of a scalable pancreatic organ substitute for type 1 diabetes.

RESEARCHER: Francine Gachupin, Ph.D., MPH Associate Professor

University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson, AZ

PURPOSE: Health behaviors, particularly when adopted early in life, can modify obesity risk and associated morbidities and circumvent a trajectory of life-long chronic disease. Dr. Gachupin has conducted American Indian youth summer camps to promote healthy eating and physical activity that resulted in improved cardiometabolic health. To build on this success and to enhance the impact of their efforts, the intervention must transfer camp-acquired knowledge, skills, and behaviors to the home setting. The goal of this American Indian Youth Wellness Initiative is to develop and test a culturally relevant, schoolbased, community-led intervention that incorporates the principles of Mind-Body Medicine skills training and parental/ caregiver engagement to support American Indian youth in achieving healthy lifestyle choices and reducing risk for obesity and related metabolic diseases. This project will engage on school in Tucson, Arizona; the Ha:Sañ Preparatory & Leadership School.

RESEARCHER: Dongmin Liu, PhD Professor Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA

PURPOSE: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a result of defects in insulin action and loss of insulin secreting cells, which are largely driven by overweight and obesity. The goal of this research is to develop novel, alternative treatment using natural products to prevent and treat both obesity and T2D. Dr. Liu’s lab discovered for the first time that elenolic acid (EA), a compound present in mature olive and olive leaf extract, acts in the gut to promote release of two hormones critical for managing body weight and blood sugar, while sulforaphane, a compound derived from brussels sprout, enhances insulin action. In this project, we will use T2D mice to investigate whether dietary intake of both EA and sulforaphane with complementary mechanisms of action is more effective in treating T2D by simultaneously reversing the defects leading to this disease. The results could lead to developing safe and complementary approach for obesity and T2D treatment.

GRANT TITLE: 3D Bioprinting of iPSCderived Organoids for Fabrication of Pancreatic Devices

GRANT TITLE: American Indian Youth Wellness Initiative

GRANT TITLE: Development of Novel Treatment Using Natural Products for Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

Treating and Preventing Complications

GRANT TITLE:

RESEARCHER: Yingfeng Deng, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Diabetes & Cancer Metabolism

Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Duarte, CA

PURPOSE: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a serious complication of hyperglycemia, occurs primarily in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Blood uridine is elevated in patients with T1D. Dr. Deng’s recent findings suggest that high uridine in T1D exacerbates the energy deficit in cell, which increases the demand of cell for ketone bodies and promotes DKA. The application will examine the adverse impact of high uridine on DKA and the usage of leptin in stimulation of uridine clearance in T1D. This research will deliver unprecedented insight into how uridine homeostasis is regulated by leptin, how uridine homeostasis disruption affects glycemic control and how to restore the dynamic homeostasis of uridine in T1D through combinatory use of leptin and insulin. Lastly, Dr. Deng’s lab will explore the potential of uridine phosphorylase in uridine clearance in T1D, which will provide a crucial basic platform for designing and testing novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of T1D and DKA.

GRANT TITLE:

RESEARCHER: Lei Jiang, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Molecular & Cellular Endocrinology

Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Duarte, CA

PURPOSE: People with obesity are almost 6 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes (T2D), compared with people of normal weight. In the United States, more than 70% of adults are overweight or obese, caused primarily by excess energy intake (carbs and fat) in modern society. Many patients with T2D have hyperlipidemia, which contributes to the development of other T2D-related metabolic disorders. Brown fat (a special kind of fat tissue) can naturally “burn” off a significant amount of energy in the form of carbs and fat. Unfortunately, this special activity of brown fat dramatically declines in obese individuals, contributing to the development of obesity-related metabolic disorders. Dr. Jiang’s earlier study found mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) plays a central role in this “burning” process. This study aims to target MPC to treat hyperlipidemia in T2D.

GRANT TITLE:

RESEARCHER: Sara Shuck, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope Duarte, CA

PURPOSE: More than 30% of individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) develop diabetic kidney disease (DKD), which increases mortality. The Diabetic Complications and Control Trial (DCCT) enrolled thousands of patients with T1D and determined that poor glycemic control (HbA1c 9) increased the risk of DKD. This risk remained elevated despite future strong glycemic control (lowering HbA1c to 7). Dr. Shuck’s research discovered that RNA is a target for modification by products of sugar metabolism, which are elevated in individuals with T1D. To determine if these RNA modifications are associated with DKD and glycemic control, Dr. Shuck measured them in patient samples from the DCCT trial. This study proposes to determine if RNA modifications remain elevated despite switching from poor to strong glycemic control, serving as potential biomarkers of DKD risk and long-term cellular changes.

Restore Uridine Homeostasis in T1D to Prevent DKA

Targeting MPC to Treat Hyperlipidemia

Elucidating the Association of RNA Damage with Diabetic Kidney Disease

GRANT TITLE: Testing Novel Immunotherapy to Treat DiabetesInduced Kidney Failure

RESEARCHER: Kai Y. Xu, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Surgery

University of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore, MD

PURPOSE: Kidney failure is a lifethreatening condition, and type 1 diabetes (T1D) causes kidney failure. (Na++K+)-ATPase (NKA) is a key protein critical to kidney function. Studies have shown that a significant reduction of NKA activity is strongly associated with T1D-induced kidney failure, indicating that dysfunction of NKA participates in the mechanism of T1D-induced kidney failure. Dr. Xu’s lab has developed unique NKA antibody activators, which specifically bind to NKA and markedly augment NKA activity. Dr. Xu hypothesizes that protecting cellular NKA activity by administering NKA antibody activator may offer a new disease-modifying intervention to prevent and cure T1Dinduced kidney failure. This research aims to test the hypothesis and examine the NKA activator-based immunotherapy on protecting kidney function against the progression of T1D-induced kidney failure in a T1D Diabetes-Prone BB rat animal model. The success of proposed investigations may revolutionize the current strategy to cure T1D-induced kidney failure to benefit patients.

GRANT TITLE: Targeting Mitochondrial Complex I Superoxide Production to Ameliorate Diabetic Kidney Disease

RESEARCHER: Liang-Jun Yan, Ph.D.

Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences University of North Texas Health Science Center Fort Worth, TX

PURPOSE: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a major cause of end stage renal disease. Despite extensive studies, the pathogenesis of DKD still remains elusive. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the mechanisms underlying DKD to explore treatment options. While oxidative stress-induced kidney cellular injury is thought to contribute to the development of DKD, mechanisms and targets remain to be defined. In this project, Dr. Yan’s lab will investigate the therapeutic effect of a compound that inhibits oxidative stress. They also propose to study the mechanism underlying the therapeutic value of this compound. Results of this project may unravel a novel target that can be used to fight DKD and therefore save lives.

American Indian Diabetes Prevention Program

In 2023, the Cheyenne River Youth Project (CRYP), with support from Diabetes Action, was able to resume a full schedule of health and wellness programming for youth ages 4 to 18. CRYP, located on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota, celebrated its 35th anniversary serving the community in its efforts to reduce diabetes among its population. The successful teen internship program also celebrated the accomplishment of graduating nearly 2,000 interns over the past 10 years. Interns at the organic Winyan Toka Win Garden harvested over 11,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables in the 2023 growing season. This healthy bounty was shared with the Medicine Wheel Elderly Village and many others in the Cheyenne River community. Interns worked on promoting diabetes prevention by holding basketball and open gym workout sessions at the teen center gym and by taking classes on nutrition and healthy cooking.

Summer Camp Program

Diabetes Action provided funding to 53 diabetes summer camps across the U.S. in 2023. These camps offer children with diabetes the opportunity to nurture their self-esteem and self-reliance by providing education in a safe and supportive environment. Camp combines fun and adventure along with the tools and knowledge to help lead a healthy life with diabetes. Children make life-long friendships with others who are experiencing the same daily struggles. We love to read the letters from children who write each year to thank us for making it possible for them to attend summer camp. As one young boy wrote this year, “I have been looking forward to camp all year, and it was worth the wait. Camp really helped me improve my diabetes and make new friends.”

Camps Supported in 2023:

• Camp Seale Harris, AL

• Camp Aldersgate, AR

• University of Arizona Foundation, AZ

• Lions Diabetic Camp, CA

• Camp Conrad Chinook, CA

• College of Health and Nursing Sciences, DE

• Florida Diabetes Camp, FL

• Camp Kudzu, GA

• Camp He Ola Ke Keiki, HI

• Camp Hodia, ID

• Camp Granada, IL

• Triangle D Camp for Children with Diabetes, IL

• Diabetes Youth Foundation, IN

• Hertko Hollow Children’s Diabetes Camp, IA

• Camp Hendon, KY

• Lions Camp, LA

• Camp Clara Barton, MA

• Camp Rainbow, MA

• Camp Joslin, MA

• Jack Rua Camp for Children, MA

• Lions Camp Merrick, MD

• Camp Angels, ME

• Cary’s Diabetes Kids, ME

• Camp Midicha, MI

• Camp Needlepoint, MN

• Camp Daypoint, MN

• Camp Montana, MT

• Camp Kandu, MS

• Camp Needles in the Pines, NC

• Nevada Diabetes Association, NV

• Floyd Rogers Camp, NE

• Zebra Crossings, NH

• Camp Nejeda, NJ

• Camp 180, NM

• Camp Big Shots, OH

• Camp Hamwi, OH

• Camp Homita Koda, OH

• Camp Korelitz, OH

• Camp Endres, OK

• Chris Dudley Basketball Camp, OR

• Camp Setebaid, PA

• Camp Surefire, RI

• Camp Sweet Escape, SC

• Camp Gilbert, SD

• Tennessee Camp for Diabetic Children, TN

• Texas Lions Camp, TX

• Utada Camp, UT

• Camp Holiday Trails, VA

• Camp Sealth, WA

• Wisconsin Lions Camp, WI

• Camp Kno-Koma, WV

• Camp Hope, WY

Financials/Misc. Board

BOARD

TREASURER/SECRETARY:

Anne Lafferty

DIRECTORS:

Catherine Hussong

Louise Koch

Teresa Sadeghin

Jan Taylor

Ann Wood

Expenses

Principal Staff Members

PRESIDENT:

Pat DeVoe, RN, BSN

DEPUTY

Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation Inc.

Fundraising:

Program Services: 89.8% (Research, Education, Summer Camps)

Diabetes Action is committed to the prevention and treatment of diabetes and to the funding of innovative, promising research aimed at finding a cure for diabetes and diabetes related complications.

Donate Online

Make a general donation or pay tribute to a loved one at www.diabetesaction.org/donate

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Include Diabetes Action as a beneficiary in your will or life insurance policy to leave a legacy of hope.

Mail Donations to:

Diabetes Action PO Box 34635 Bethesda, MD 20827