Diabetes Insights - Breakthroughs and Innovators

How did decades of research into gut hormones lead to GLP-1-based treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity?

In this EASD TV conversation, host Vivienne Parry speaks with Prof. Jens Juul Holst, recipient of the 2nd Global Impact Prize, about the early discoveries behind GLP-1, the development of effective therapies and their wider metabolic and cardiovascular effects.

He also discusses global access and affordability, the challenges of counterfeit medicines, and why fundamental research continues to shape the future of diabetes treatment.

In this EASD TV interview, Prof. Zachary Gerhart-Hines (Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research), 61st EASD Minkowski Prize recipient, discusses research into the neurokinin-2 receptor (NK2R) and its potential to change how we approach weight management and metabolic health. Where many existing treatments focus on reducing food intake, NK2R activation could offer a complementary strategy by increasing energy expenditure, influencing appetite and improving insulin sensitivity.

The conversation explores why the quality of weight loss matters and why this could be important for older adults. Prof. Gerhart-Hines also explains how the pathway’s unexpected connections between fat tissue, the brain and the gut have shaped the research, and how potential NK2R-based therapies could eventually complement treatments such as GLP-1 receptor agonists and amylin-based therapies.

How does exercise stimulate glucose uptake in muscle and what can this teach us about treating type 2 diabetes?

Prof. Kei Sakamoto, recipient of the 12th EASD - Novo Nordisk Foundation Prize for Excellence, speaks to EASD TV host Vivienne Parry about the molecular mechanisms connecting exercise, energy regulation and insulin signalling. He explains the role of LKB1 and AMPK, explores the potential and limitations of targeting these pathways therapeutically.

The conversation also explores the complexity of diabetes, the importance of targeting specific molecular pathways and tissues and why fundamental research is essential for developing future treatments.

Prof. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler, this year’s Claude Bernard Prize Lecture recipient, reflects on her career in type 1 diabetes research and the evolution of our understanding of the disease.

From the early recognition of type 1 diabetes as an autoimmune disease to pioneering birth cohort studies, early detection and screening, Prof. Ziegler discusses the discoveries that have shaped the field and the emergence of treatments that can delay disease progression.

She also discusses what remains to be understood about disease progression, possible environmental modifiers and the future of type 1 diabetes prevention.

The EASD’s first clinical practice guideline on the assessment and management of diabetes distress in adults living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes has now been published in Diabetologia.

Drawing on two years of multidisciplinary work, the guideline was developed by clinicians, methodologists, psychologists and people with lived experience. Prof. Jane Speight, Prof. Richard Holt and patient-advocate Michelle Law describe what diabetes distress is (the emotional burden tied to daily self-management) and why routine assessment and supportive care must become part of standard practice.

The conversation explores the definition of diabetes distress, evidence gaps, assessment tools, psychological interventions and how healthcare systems can better support people living with diabetes. The guideline was developed using internationally recognised standards, with people with lived experience involved throughout the process.