The French-speaking Foundation for Diabetes Research (FFRD) has allocated €300,000 each to two research teams investigating key challenges in type 2 diabetes, bringing its total research funding since 2013 to €8.9 million. This funding underscores the ongoing commitment to understanding and improving treatment for diabetes, a growing global health concern.
The two 2025 projects focus on insulin resistance, a contributor to fatty liver disease, and the decline in insulin secretion, which worsens the progression of the disease, according to Professor André Scheen, president of the FFRD’s scientific council and a diabetologist at the University of Liège.
One project, called QUID-NASH Follow-Up, led by Professor Jean-François Gautier of Lariboisière Hospital in Paris, examines metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the leading cause of chronic liver disease. Individuals with type 2 diabetes are particularly vulnerable to MASLD, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. The research team aims to develop a “MASLD score” by tracking fibrosis progression over six years, analyzing contributing factors, and utilizing immune markers and imaging. This score could predict disease severity and progression in patients with type 2 diabetes, potentially reducing the need for liver biopsies.
The second funded project, spearheaded by Esteban Gurzov, Director of the Laboratory of Signal Transduction and Metabolism at the Free University of Brussels, investigates the failure of beta cells and the role of tyrosine phosphatase proteins (PTPs). Gurzov’s team has isolated the PTPRF receptor, with the goal of evaluating the role of PTPs and PTPRF in beta cell survival and function, potentially paving the way for recent therapeutic strategies.
FFRD Supports Large-Scale Studies
Beyond these specific projects, the FFRD is also supporting two large-scale studies. The first, the French Follow-up of Patients with Type 1 Diabetes (SFDT1), began as an initiative of the SFD in 2017 to better understand the factors contributing to cardiovascular complications in people with type 1 diabetes.
As of now, the study, which was co-created with patients, aims to include 10,000 adults and children over the age of 6. Since its launch in June 2020, 6,020 patients, including 636 children, have been enrolled across 82 centers. Clinical and biological data, including continuous glucose monitoring, are collected during routine consultations, explained Professor Jean-Pierre Riveline, a diabetologist at Lariboisière Hospital and head of the university diabetes center and its complications.
Access to the national health data system (SNDS), combined with monthly health and socioeconomic questionnaires, provides a comprehensive view of patient outcomes.
Professor Roberto Mallone, a diabetologist and co-director of the Diabetes &. Autoimmunity research laboratory at the Cochin Institute in Paris, also presented PRÊT1D, a national project for the screening and management of pre-symptomatic type 1 diabetes, which is also promoted by the FFRD.
“Type 1 diabetes can be detected before hyperglycemia and the onset of symptoms through the measurement of autoantibodies directed against the beta cells of the pancreas,” he explained. Early detection offers several advantages, including preventing emergencies like diabetic ketoacidosis and providing access to innovative treatments that can delay the onset of symptomatic diabetes and the need for insulin.
The PRÊT1D study is based on three key principles: simplifying screening with a capillary blood sample that can be taken at home and mailed to the Cochin Hospital laboratory; harmonizing the care pathway in case of a positive screening result by utilizing a digital health platform; and documenting the medical and economic benefits of screening to discuss reimbursement options.
PRÊT1D will be implemented in two phases: a pilot phase with 2,900 screenings over one year, followed by a large-scale rollout starting in January 2027 with 7,500 screenings per year for four years, alongside the development of the digital health platform.
