Organoids derived from people with diabetes have shed light on how the condition damages blood vessels, in a study using stem cells.

Diabetes causes high blood sugar levels, which can impact the blood vessels due to a build-up of fats and cholesterol, increasing the risk of serious health complications such as heart attack and stroke.

Research at Queen’s University Belfast and King’s College London, both UK, grew blood vessel (vascular) cells from stem cells taken from people with diabetes to create organoids that showed some of the impaired vascular function linked to the condition – this included higher levels of oxygen-containing chemicals, which is also seen in diabetes due to high blood sugar.

Using this model, the team identified a special subset of vascular cells in diabetics that were present in higher numbers than non-diabetics, and which contribute to damaging the blood vessels.

Andriana Margariti, at Queen’s University Belfast (pictured), said: “This opens new possibilities for developing targeted therapies that can significantly improve the lives of people with diabetes.”