THE INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2025
METABOLIC DISORDERS AND COMPLICATIONS (MeDiC) PROGRAM
SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS
Semaglutide—known as Ozempic—can be beneficial to people with type 1 diabetes
A first randomized clinical trial shows that semaglutide use in type 1 diabetes is associated with improved glucose management, weight loss and lower insulin requirements
Semaglutide (known by its brand name Ozempic) has gained widespread attention for its weight loss benefits, but is officially approved for managing type 2 diabetes. While there is currently limited data on its risks and benefits for those with type 1 diabetes, new research offers promising insights.
A new study shows that semaglutide can improve glucose levels for people with type 1 diabetes who use automated pumps, without increasing hypoglycemia. In this double-blinded randomized trial conducted at the Centre for Innovative Medicine of The Institute, participants using semaglutide alongside automated insulin therapy were able to maintain safe glucose levels for longer periods. The results of the study were recently published in the journal Nature Medicine.
“The typical goal for patients with type 1 diabetes is to maintain a glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level of less than seven per cent, and to remain within the target glycemic range for 70 per cent or more of the time, in order to reduce the risk of microvascular and macrovascular complications. However, studies suggest that almost half of all people using automatic insulin pumps fail to achieve this,” explains Dr. Michael Tsoukas, principal investigator of the study, Investigator in the MeDiC Program at The Institute and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University. Learn more
Gestational diabetes in subsequent pregnancies significantly increases risk of type 2 diabetes
Recent study reveals that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is increased in women who first get gestational diabetes during a second pregnancy, and that it increases even more for those who get it during two consecutive pregnancies
Women with gestational diabetes – temporary diabetes during pregnancy – are at higher risk for future type 2 diabetes later in life. But from one pregnancy to the next, how does this risk evolve? A new study from The Institute shows that women who have gestational diabetes for the first time in a second pregnancy have a 76 per cent higher risk of future type 2 diabetes than women with gestational diabetes in the first pregnancy but not in the second. Women with gestational diabetes in both pregnancies are at the highest risk, more than 3.5 times higher than those with gestational diabetes only in their first pregnancy. The study authors hope that the results of the study recently published in JAMA Network Open will enable women to benefit from personalized advice to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
“Around 10 per cent of pregnancies are affected by gestational diabetes overall. Our study shows that future diabetes risk differs in relationship to which pregnancy is affected by gestational diabetes and how many gestational diabetes pregnancies there are. We can help mothers personalize risk estimates with this and other information, so that they can make informed choices about when and how to take action on prevention,” says Dr. Kaberi Dasgupta, senior author of the study and Senior Scientist in the MeDiC Program at The Institute. Learn more
More research highlights from the MeDiC Program
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Melissa Rosina Pasqua, Michael A. Tsoukas, Alessandra Kobayati, Wedyan M. Aboznadah, Adnan Jafar, Ahmad Haidar. Subcutaneous weekly semaglutide with automated insulin delivery in type 1 diabetes: a double-blind, randomized, crossover trial. Nature Medicine 31(4), 1239-1245, 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-03463-z
Ben Kirk, Giovanni Lombardi, Gustavo Duque. Bone and muscle crosstalk in ageing and disease. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 1-16, 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s41574-025-01088-x
Elisa Cohen, Michael A. Tsoukas, Laurent Legault, Michael T. Vallis, Julia Elisabeth von Oettingen, Emilie Palisaitis, Madison Odabassian, Jean François Yale, Natasha Garfield, Nikita Gouchie-Provencher, Joanna Rutkowski, Adnan Jafar, Milad Ghanbari, Ahmad Haidar. Simple meal announcements and pramlintide delivery versus carbohydrate counting in type 1 diabetes with automated fast-acting insulin aspart delivery: a randomised crossover trial in Montreal, Canada. The Lancet Digital Health 6(7): e489-e499, 2024. DOI: 10.1016/S2589-7500(24)00092-X
Sarkis J. Hannaian, Jamie Lov, Zacharie Cheng-Boivin, Sidney Abou Sawan, Nathan W. Hodson, Benoît Jean Gentil, José A. Morais, Tyler A. Churchward-Venne. Acute effects of a ketone monoester, whey protein, or their coingestion on mTOR trafficking and protein-protein colocalization in human skeletal muscle. American journal of physiology. Cell physiology 326(6): C1769-C1775, 2024: 85195435028: DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00207.2024
Adnan Jafar, Alessandra Kobayati, Michael A. Tsoukas, Ahmad Haidar. Personalized insulin dosing using reinforcement learning for high-fat meals and aerobic exercises in type 1 diabetes: a proof-of-concept trial. Nature Communications 15(1), 2024: 85200449955: DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50764-5
Akshay B. Jain, Sonja M. Reichert, Hanan Amadid, Uffe Christian Braae, Ryan M. Bradley, James W. Kim, Victoria Soo, Jean François Yale. Use of once-daily oral semaglutide and associated clinical outcomes among adults with type 2 diabetes in routine clinical practice in Canada: A multicentre, prospective real-world study (PIONEER REAL Canada). Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism 26(5): 1799-187, 2024: 85187457819: DOI: 10.1111/dom.15493
Joseph Mussa, Elham Rahme, Mourad Dahhou, Meranda M. Nakhla, Kaberi Dasgupta. Incident Diabetes in Women with Patterns of Gestational Diabetes Occurrences Across 2 Pregnancies. JAMA Network Open 7(5), 2024: 85192792150: DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.10279
Cecilia Hes, Luting Gui, Alexandre Bay, Fernando Alvarez, Pierce Katz, Tanushree Paul, Nadejda Bozadjieva-Kramer, Randy J. Seeley, Ciriaco A. Piccirillo, Paul V. Sabatini. GDNF family receptor alpha-like (GFRAL) expression is restricted to the caudal brainstem. Molecular Metabolism 91, 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2024.102070
Shaifali Sandal, Isabelle Ethier, Ugochi Chika Onu, Winston Wing Shing Fung, Divya Bajpai, Workagegnehu Hailu, Peace Bagasha, Letizia de Chiara, Ehab O.A. Hafiz, Brendan J. Smyth, Dearbhla M. Kelly, Maria Pippias, Vivekanand K. Jha. Climate Change, Kidney Health, and Environmentally Sustainable Kidney Care: A Multinational Survey of Health Care Professionals. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology 35(8): 184-194, 2024. DOI: 10.1681/ASN.0000000000000402
Thomas Liontis, Megan M. Senchuk, Shusen Zhu, Suleima Jacob-Tomas, Ulrich Anglas, Annika Traa, Sonja K. Soo, Jeremy M. Van Raamsdonk. Intestine-specific disruption of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase extends longevity. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 229: 195-25, 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2025.01.032
Ruth Sapir-Pichhadze, Claudie Laprise, Marie Eve Beauchamp, Mohammed Kaouache, Xun Zhang, Alexia Della Vecchia, Laurent Y. Azoulay, Eduardo Luis Fabiano Franco, Michal Abrahamowicz, Belinda F. Nicolau. Immunosuppression and cancer risk in kidney transplant recipients: A retrospective cohort study. International Journal of Cancer 154(12): 243-253, 2024: 85185267936: DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34875
Annika Traa, Allison T. Keil, Abdelrahman M. AlOkda, Suleima Jacob-Tomas, Aura A. Tamez González, Shusen Zhu, Zenith D. Rudich, Jeremy M. Van Raamsdonk. Overexpression of mitochondrial fission or mitochondrial fusion genes enhances resilience and extends longevity. Aging Cell 23(1), 2024: 85197239440: DOI : 10.1111/acel.14262
