Research Area
Application of cell and gene therapies to Type 1 diabetes to improve glycaemic control.
Research Overview
My laboratory is interested in the mechanisms underlying Type 1 diabetes, with a focus on beta cell dysfunction and strategies addressing beta cell preservation, beta cell regeneration, and beta cell restoration/islet transplantation. By combining basic, translational, and clinical research, my overarching goal is to investigate immunotherapies that preserve beta cell function and develop new cell- and gene-based therapies that can improve the success of transplantation in people living with Type 1 diabetes.
​
Basic and Translational Research
​
Areas of investigation:
-
Established stem cell-derived islet transplantation in rodent models with diabetes to investigate the mechanisms limiting transplant success.
​
​
​
​
​
​
-
Developing innovative co-therapies to reduce islet loss and enhance in vivo engraftment of islets.
​​
​​
​​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​​
​
​
​​
​
-
​​Working with chemists to develop specialised microparticles to improve long-term islet function in vivo.
​​
-
Collaborating with biophysicists to create novel non-labelled methodolgies for assessing islet viability.
​
Clinical Research
​
Key activities include:
-
Analysing factors influencing islet transplant outcomes, such as listing patients for second transplants and HLA status of the donor and recipient.
​
-
Developed and validated the BETA-2 score, a widely adopted composite measure of islet transplant function, in collaboration with Professor Peter Senior and Professor James Shapiro.
​
-
Restoration of glucagon response to hypoglycaemia in people with Type 1 diabetes using novel mechanisms.
Transplanted mouse islet in the liver, with beta cells producing insulin. Dying (apoptotic) beta cells can be seen in the islet within 24 hours.
Transplanted mouse islet in the portal vein of the liver, with beta cells producing insulin. Macrophages can be seen in the surrounding liver tissue.
Alternatively activated macrophages (AAMs) delivered to mouse islets phagocytosing dying (apoptotic) beta cells.
Funding
Collaborations
University of Edinburgh Collaborators:
UK Islet Transplant Programme Scotland and UK Islet Transplant Consortium.
Professor James Shapiro, Transplant Surgeon, Edmonton Clinical Islet Transplant Program, University of Alberta, Canada.
Professor Peter Senior, Endocrinologist, Edmonton Clinical Islet Transplant Program, University of Alberta, Canada.
Dr Euan Brown, Associate Professor, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
​
Professor Peter Jacobs, Artificial Intelligence for Medical Systems, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, USA.
Alberta Diabetes Research Institute, Alberta, Canada.
Cell Gene Therapy Catapult, UK.
​
UK Type 1 Diabetes Research Consortium.
Novo Nordisk, Copenhagen, Denmark.
​
University of Nottingham, UK.
Profile
Shareen Forbes is Professor of Diabetic Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, Lead Physician of the Islet Transplant Programme in Scotland since its inception in 2009 and Visiting Professor of the Islet Transplant Programme, Edmonton, Canada. She graduated in Medicine from the University of Edinburgh and did specialist training in diabetes, endocrinology and general medicine at Imperial College, London where she was awarded Novo Nordisk UK Research Foundation fellowship to undertake her PhD studies. Following her PhD award in 2005 she was awarded the Diabetes UK Clinical Intermediate Fellowship to further study in vivo metabolism in diabetes which she undertook first at Imperial College London and later at the University of Edinburgh.
​
Current Roles
2024 ; International Pancreas and Islet Transplant Association – Education Committee
2024; Danish Diabetes and Endocrinology Academy Board Member on Strategic Partnerships
2024 ; Breakthrough T1D International Consortium Group Member
2022 ; Centre for PRecision medicine Cell TherApy for Liver (PRaCTicAL) Steering Group Member
2021 ; Breakthrough T1D Scientific Advisory Board Member
2019 ; Scottish Diabetes Technology Group Member
2018 ; Novo Nordisk UK Foundation Trustee Member; Chair in May 2024
2011 ; Clinical Transplant Trials Committee, NHS Lothian.
2011 ; Tutor MSc courses at Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow
2010 ; Principal Investigator Islet Transplant Programme, Scotland / UK Islet Transplant Consortium
Previous Roles
2017 - 2023; Diabetes UK, Clinical Studies Group 2, Causes and Prevention of Type 1 diabetes Member
2019 – 2023; Lead Metabolic and Obesity Networks, Society for Endocrinology
2019 – 2023; Society for Endocrinology, Council of Health Care Professionals
2017 – 2018; American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions Transplantation Committee
2016 – 2019; British Endocrine Societies, Scientific Advisory Board Member
2016 - 2018; Innovators in Diabetes Research Programme
2014 – 2018; Diabetes UK Scottish Advisory Council of Health Care Professionals Member
2009 - 2016; Translational Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, Studies – Course Organiser, Director of Medical Statistics Module
2008 - 2013; Principal Investigator Tommy’s Research Programme
Previous group members
​
Dr Laura Reid
Dr Faye Baxter
Dr Sophie Walker
Dr Adrian Garcia Burgos
Mr George McKay
Dr Stefania Brown
Ms Eileen Miller
Ms June Noble
Mr Maximilian Walden
​
ORCID
-
Nawilaijaroen Y, Rocliffe HR, Austin-Williams S, Krilis G, Dawson C, Harijanto P, Pellicoro A, Zhou K, Ji Y, Bain CA, Kilpatrick AM, Chen Y, Biswas A, Forbes S, Crichton M, Huang Z, Forbes SJ, Caporali A, Cash JL. MC1R determines healing outcomes in acute and chronic cutaneous wounds. PNAS. 2025. Nov 18;122(46):e2503308122. doi: 10/1073/pnas.2503308122.
-
Forbes S. The Convergence of Curative Strategies: Islet Replacement, Tolerance Induction, and the Path Beyond Immunosuppression in Type 1 Diabetes. EMJ Diabetes. 2025; 13[1]:24-29. https://doi.org/10.33590/emjdiabet/HYFI5286.
-
Forbes S. β-Cell Benchmarks: Defining Predictive Outcomes in Islet Transplantation. Diabetes. 2025 May;74(5):685-688. doi: 10.2337/dbi24-0054. PMID: 40258167; PMCID: PMC12012584.
-
Dover AR, Wright RJ, Forbes S, Strachan MWJ, Stimson RH, Gibb FW. Change in glycated haemoglobin in adults with type 2 diabetes on basal-bolus insulin regimens following commencement of Freestyle Libre use. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2025 Jan;27(1):419-421. doi: 10.1111/dom.16003. PMID: 39387171; PMCID: PMC11618312
-
Stimson RH, Strachan MWJ, Dover AR, Wright RJ, Forbes S, McRobert G, Gibb FW. Outcomes after 1 year in adults using Omnipod 5: Real-world data from a UK diabetes centre. Diabet Med. 2024 Dec;41(12):e15453. doi: 10.1111/dme.15453. PMID: 39392870.
-
Hussain S, Braune K, Forbes S, Senior PA. Closed-loop systems: a bridge to cell therapy for type 1 diabetes? Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2024 Aug 20:S2213-8587(24)00240-7. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(24)00240-7.
-
Forbes S, Kay TWH. Islet transplantation in kidney transplant recipients with type 1 diabetes. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2024 Oct;12(10):683-685. doi: 10.1016/s2213-8587(24)00274-2. PMID: 39250919.
-
Baxter F, Baillie N, Dover A, Stimson RH, Gibb F, Forbes S. A cross-sectional questionnaire study: Impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia remains prevalent in adults with type 1 diabetes and is associated with the risk of severe hypoglycaemia. PLoS One. 2024 Jun 14;19(6):e0297601. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297601.
-
Hazlehurst J, Khoo B, Lobato C.B, Ilesanmi I, Abbott S, Chan T, Pillai S, Maslin K, Purkayastha S, McGowan B, Andrews R, Nicholson E, McCullough K, Albon L, Batterham R, Dimitriaidis GK, Forbes S, Bewick G, & Tan TM. Society for Endocrinology guidelines for the diagnosis and management of post-bariatric hypoglycaemia. Endocrine Connections, 13(5), e230285. Retrieved Apr 9, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-23-0285
-
Stanley AK, Duncan K, Anderson D, Irvine L, Sutherland A, Forbes S, Casey J. Insulin independence following islet transplantation improves long-term metabolic outcomes. Diabet Med. 2024 Feb;41(2):e15257. doi: 10.1111/dme.15257.Epub 2023 Nov 15. PMID: 37968808.
-
Forbes S, Halpin A, Lam A, Grynoch D, Parker R, Hidalgo L, Bigam D, Anderson B, Dajani K, Kin T, O'Gorman D, Senior PA, Campbell P, Shapiro AMJ. Islet transplantation outcomes in type 1 diabetes and transplantation of HLA-DQ8/DR4: results of a single-centre retrospective cohort in Canada. EClinicalMedicine. 2023 Dec 13;67:102333. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102333. PMID: 38169703; PMCID: PMC10758748.
-
Stanley AK, Duncan K, Anderson D, Irvine L, Sutherland A, Forbes S, Casey J. Insulin independence following islet transplantation improves long-term metabolic outcomes. Diabet Med. 2024 Feb;41(2):e15257. doi: 10.1111/dme.15257. Epub 2023 Nov 15. PMID: 37968808.
-
Shapey IM, Summers A, O'Sullivan J, Fullwood C, Hanley NA, Casey J, Forbes S, Rosenthal M, Johnson PRV, Choudhary P, Bushnell J, Shaw JAM, Neiman D, Shemer R, Glaser B, Dor Y, Augustine T, Rutter MK, van Dellen D. Beta-cell death and dysfunction drives hyperglycaemia in organ donors. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2023 Dec;25(12):3529-3537. doi: 10.1111/dom.15248. Epub 2023 Aug 30. PMID: 37646197.
-
Walker SL, Noble J, Thomson A, Moran CM, Mellis D, Lee IN, White LJ, Forbes S. Ultrasound-guided hepatic portal vein injection is not a reproducible technique for delivery of cell therapies to the liver in mice. Diabet Med. 2023 Dec;40(12):e15192. doi: 10.1111/dme.15192. Epub 2023 Aug 17. PMID: 37531444.
-
Forbes S. BETA-2 score at 28 days after islet allogeneic transplantation in type 1 diabetes for predicting 5-year outcomes. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2023 Jun;11(6):376-377. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(23)00090-6. Epub 2023 Apr 24. PMID: 37105209.
-
Joshi SS, Singh T, Kershaw LE, Gibb FW, Dweck MR, Williams M, Idris I, Semple S, Forbes S, Newby DE, Reynolds RM. Non-invasive imaging of functional pancreatic islet beta-cell mass in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Diabet Med. 2023 Oct;40(10):e15111. doi: 10.1111/dme.15111. Epub 2023 Apr 21. PMID: 37035965.
-
Baxter F, Baillie N, Forbes S. Study protocol: a randomised controlled proof-of-concept real-world study - does maximising time in range using hybrid closed loop insulin delivery and a low carbohydrate diet restore the glucagon response to hypoglycaemia in adults with type 1 diabetes? BMJ Open. 2022 Dec 20;12(12):e054958. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054958. PMID: 36600427; PMCID: PMC9772676.
-
Lam A, Oram RA, Forbes S, Olateju T, Malcolm AJ, Imes S, Shapiro AMJ, Senior PA. Estimation of Early Graft Function Using the BETA-2 Score Following Clinical Islet Transplantation. Transpl Int. 2022 Jul 6;35:10335. doi: 10.3389/ti.2022.10335. PMID: 35874309; PMCID: PMC9301872.
-
Forbes S, Flatt AJ, Bennett D, Crookston R, Pimkova M, Birtles L, Pernet A, Wood RC, Burling K, Barker P, Counter C, Lumb A, Choudhary P, Rutter MK, Rosenthal M, Sutherland A, Casey J, Johnson P, Shaw JAM. The impact of islet mass, number of transplants, and time between transplants on graft function in a national islet transplant program. Am J Transplant. 2022 Jan;22(1):154-164. doi: 10.1111/ajt.16785. Epub 2021 Aug 22. PMID: 34355503; PMCID: PMC9292186.
-
Reid L, Baxter F, Forbes S. Effects of islet transplantation on microvascular and macrovascular complications in type 1 diabetes. Diabet Med. 2021 Jul;38(7):e14570. doi: 10.1111/dme.14570. Epub 2021 May 3. PMID: 33780027.
-
Forbes S. The BETA-2 score web app calculator: https://www.beta2score.com/ for assessment of graft function following islet transplantation. Am J Transplant. 2021 Jul;21(7):2619. doi: 10.1111/ajt.16551. Epub 2021 Mar 8. PMID: 33624356; PMCID: PMC8359165.
-
Alwahsh SM, Qutachi O, Starkey Lewis PJ, Bond A, Noble J, Burgoyne P, Morton N, Carter R, Mann J, Ferreira-Gonzalez S, Alvarez-Paino M, Forbes SJ, Shakesheff KM, Forbes S. Fibroblast growth factor 7 releasing particles enhance islet engraftment and improve metabolic control following islet transplantation in mice with diabetes. Am J Transplant. 2021 Sep;21(9):2950-2963. doi: 10.1111/ajt.16488. Epub 2021 Feb 2. PMID: 33428803; PMCID: PMC8603932.
-
Sabbah S, Liew A, Brooks AM, Kundu R, Reading JL, Flatt A, Counter C, Choudhary P, Forbes S, Rosenthal MJ, Rutter MK, Cairns S, Johnson P, Casey J, Peakman M, Shaw JA, Tree TIM. Autoreactive T cell profiles are altered following allogeneic islet transplantation with alemtuzumab induction and re-emerging phenotype is associated with graft function. Am J Transplant. 2021 Mar;21(3):1027-1038. doi: 10.1111/ajt.16285. Epub 2020 Sep 19. PMID: 32865886.
-
Thirlwell KL, Colligan D, Mountford JC, Samuel K, Bailey L, Cuesta-Gomez N, Hewit KD, Kelly CJ, West CC, McGowan NWA, Casey JJ, Graham GJ, Turner ML, Forbes S, Campbell JDM. Pancreas-derived mesenchymal stromal cells share immune response-modulating and angiogenic potential with bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells and can be grown to therapeutic scale under Good Manufacturing Practice conditions. Cytotherapy. 2020 Dec;22(12):762-771. doi: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2020.07.010. Epub 2020 Aug 20. PMID: 32828673.
-
Shapey IM, Summers A, Yiannoullou P, Khambalia H, Fullwood C, Hanley NA, Casey J, Forbes S, Rosenthal M, Johnson PR, Choudhary P, Bushnell J, Shaw JAM, Augustine T, Rutter MK, van Dellen D. Donor insulin use predicts beta-cell function after islet transplantation. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2020 Oct;22(10):1874-1879. doi: 10.1111/dom.14088. Epub 2020 Jun 14. PMID: 32452110.
-
Forbes S, Bond AR, Thirlwell KL, Burgoyne P, Samuel K, Noble J, Borthwick G, Colligan D, McGowan NWA, Lewis PS, Fraser AR, Mountford JC, Carter RN, Morton NM, Turner ML, Graham GJ, Campbell JDM. Human umbilical cord perivascular cells improve human pancreatic islet transplant function by increasing vascularization. Sci Transl Med. 2020 Jan 15;12(526):eaan5907. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aan5907. PMID: 31941825.
Social Media
Link to Twitter:​
​
Link to Linkedin:
​
Link to Bluesky:
-
Type 1 diabetes closer to a cure as patient makes his own insulin. The Times of India. Nov 12th 2025
-
61st EASD Annual Meeting. Chairperson - It's beta cell replacement time - Sep 16th 2025
-
ESOT Congress. Speaker - Simulataneous Kidney and Islet Transplant: Indications and Options - Jun 29th 2025
-
IPITA 2025. Speaker - Simulataneous Kidney and Islet Transplant: Pros and Cons - Jun 16th 2025
-
Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge: Beta Cell Therapies for Type 1 Diabetes with Professors Shareen Forbes & Matthias Hebrok - July 4th 2025
-
PRACTICAL and British Liver Trust PPIE focus group meeting – May 27th 2025
-
Panel Discussion on Empowering Women in STEMM – International Women’s Day 2025; Indian High Commission, London, UK - Mar 2025.
-
Patient Reported Outcome Measures in Cell Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes Workshop – Invite Only By Breakthrough T1D - Mar 2025.
-
Breakthrough T1D UK Major Donor Tour, Institute of Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh – Mar 2025
-
​Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference – Speaker - Feb 2025
-
ISSCR and Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult Summit, Edinburgh, UK - Speaker -Feb 2025
-
ABCD Webinar: Cell Therapy for Type 1 diabetes. Professor Shareen Forbes, Dr Sufyan Hussein and Professor James Shaw - 9th Jan 2025
-
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust: Voices and Insights from Understanding and Preventing Hypoglycemia in Diabetes - Sept. 2024
-
UoE : Exploring views on current and future treatments for Type 1 Diabetes - May 2024
-
Diabetes UK : Research delves deeper islet transplant match making people Type 1 Diabetes - Mar 2024
-
Inaugural Lecture: Future Therapies for Type 1 Diabetes - Jun 2022
-
Diabetes Scotland: Islet Quality Assessment in Transplantation for Type 1 Diabetes - Feb 2022
-
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh: 100 Years of Insulin Reflections - Jan 2022
-
Diabetes UK : World Diabetes Day - Nov 2021
-
Diabetes UK : 100 Years of Insulin - Oct 2021
-
Diabetes UK : Islet transplants guidance changed - Aug 2021
-
The Naked Scientist Podcast: New Cell Transplant for Diabetes - Jan 2020
Workshops
-
CERSI-AT - Cell and Gene Therapy. Using Patient Reported Outcomes to Improve Drug Development in ATMP and Rare Diseases - Sep 26th 2025