WORLD-LEADING experts at Bath, Oxford and Johns Hopkins Universities secured a grant to develop a first-of-its-kind device that replicates brain, gut and pancreas communication networks.
3D Human Cells Model to Study Cognitive Decline in Diabetes
There is growing evidence to suggest a link between diabetes and dementia, however, previous research relying on animal models and cell cultures fail to fully capture the complexity of interactions between organs involved in diabetes and dementia. The new grant
This new grant allows clinicians, biologists, computer scientists and engineers to grow living human cells in specialised 3D structures to replicate complex cellular connections.
GlucoBrain Biochip Tracks Real-Time Brain, Gut and Pancreas Signals
GlucoBrain aims to investigate the metabolic changes associated with the diabetes-dementia link. First, human organ interactions will be replicated using living cells grown within miniature biochips, with separate gut, pancreas, and brain chip modules eventually connecting into a multi-organ circuit.
The system will then be used to monitor how glucose, hormones, and metabolic signals influence brain function and cognitive decline, as well as response to different drug treatments. Researchers will be able to study molecular communication in real time, capturing the complexity of interactions between organs in diabetes.
Organ-On-Chip Platform Could Advance Personalised Treatments
The pilot project is positioned to understand the deeper, biological-level processes in how diseases like diabetes and dementia work. It is projected to build the foundations for more advances and realistic models, harnessing the power of artificial intelligence.
The platform may significantly accelerate early-stage drug discovery by allowing compounds to be tested on interconnected human cell systems rather than isolated models. This could improve predictive accuracy for drug responses, reduce late-stage trial failure rates, and support more efficient development of therapies targeting both metabolic and neurological disease pathways.
Investigators hope that the technology can accelerate drug development, reduce reliance on animal testing, and support personalised medicine approaches using patient- derived cells.
Reference
University of Bath. Novel ‘organ-on-chip’ project to study the connection between diabetes and dementia. 18 May 2026. Available at: https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/novel-organ-on-chip-project-to-study-the-connection-between-diabetes-and-dementia/. Last accessed: 28 May 2026.
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