About This Project
Type 1 Diabetes develops when the immune system destroys insulin-producing cells. Recent studies suggest that gut microbes and metabolic signals may influence this process. We aim to explore whether imbalance in the body’s own cannabinoid system links gut health and autoimmunity. We will analyze gut bacteria, endocannabinoid levels, fatty acids, and inflammation markers. We hypothesize that this imbalance contributes to immune dysfunction in T1D.
Ask the Scientists
Join The DiscussionWhat is the context of this research?
This project builds on our recent hypothesis published in Frontiers in Endocrinology (link), suggesting that Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) may begin with a chain reaction between gut microbes and the body’s own cannabinoid system, known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS). This system can also be influenced by plant-derived cannabinoids, which makes it an intriguing therapeutic target. Similar immune–metabolic patterns have already been seen in other autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s and multiple sclerosis, but this has never been explored in humans with T1D. With full ethical approval, this study will examine whether changes in gut bacteria and intestinal integrity are linked with imbalances in natural cannabinoids such as 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA). If a consistent pattern is found—higher 2-AG, lower AEA, increased gut permeability, and inflammation—it could reveal how gut imbalance contributes to the immune attack that causes T1D.
What is the significance of this project?
This study addresses a major gap in autoimmune research: we still lack human evidence on how the body’s own cannabinoid system interacts with gut microbes in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). Previous animal studies suggest that excess production of certain endocannabinoids, like 2-AG, may disrupt gut balance and fuel inflammation, but this has never been tested in people with T1D. Our pilot project will combine several types of laboratory analyses — including endocannabinoid levels, gut bacteria profiles, and intestinal barrier integrity — to see whether these systems are linked. Confirming such a connection could provide the first human proof-of-concept that endocannabinoid imbalance contributes to T1D onset, guiding future studies and early-diagnosis strategies.
What are the goals of the project?
The primary goal of this pilot study is to determine whether individuals with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) display a characteristic gut microbiota composition that promotes intestinal overproduction of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and subsequent dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). We aim to identify correlations between specific microbial taxa, short-chain fatty acid levels, intestinal permeability markers, circulating endocannabinoids, and CB1/CB2 receptor expression. By integrating these parameters, we seek to reveal whether a distinct endocannabinoid–microbiota signature can be linked to autoimmune activation in T1D. This multidisciplinary approach will provide preliminary data needed to validate a systems-level model of T1D pathogenesis and guide larger studies exploring ECS–microbiota interactions in autoimmune diseases.
Budget
Each part of this budget directly enables the laboratory work required to complete the project. Endocannabinoid analysis is technically demanding and expensive because these lipid molecules are extremely volatile and present at very low concentrations — LC-MS/MS is the only reliable method to quantify them. Sequencing the gut microbiota is also costly but essential for comparing microbial composition with metabolic and inflammatory markers. Additional blood tests will allow us to explore correlations between endocannabinoid levels, lipid profiles, and immune status, which may reveal simpler diagnostic patterns in the future. Without this funding, none of these analyses could be completed.
Endorsed by
Project Timeline
The fundraising will close by the end of January 2026. In February, we will recruit and examine at least 20 participants, followed by laboratory analyses of endocannabinoids, microbiota, and inflammatory markers. Data interpretation will take place in February and March 2026, with the manuscript submission planned by April, 2026 — and, God willing, perhaps more participants included.
Jan 31, 2026
Fundraising completed
Feb 28, 2026
Sample collection and participant recruitment completed
Mar 31, 2026
Laboratory analyses finalized
Apr 30, 2026
Data integration and statistical interpretation completed
May 31, 2026
Manuscript submitted to Frontiers in Endocrinology – Diabetes – Molecular Mechanisms
Meet the Team
Team Bio
The project team consists of experienced researchers and medical professionals mostly affiliated with the Collegium Medicum of Nicolaus Copernicus University (CM UMK) in Poland. Our members include professors, physicians, and laboratory specialists with expertise in endocrinology, immunology, and molecular biology. All have the necessary qualifications and ethical approvals to conduct the proposed analyses within the planned timeframe.
Wojciech Lukowski
I am a registered nurse and lecturer in internal medicine, diabetology, and health promotion in University of Economy in Bydgoszcz. My professional background combines clinical practice with academic teaching. I currently serve as an operating theatre manager in a private hospital, where I lead a multidisciplinary team and oversee procedural logistics, quality, and safety.
My academic interests focus on translational medicine — particularly the relationship between metabolic regulation, the immune system, and the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Over the past years, I have been developing the concept of the endocannabinoid–microbiota axis as a missing link in the pathogenesis of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). This work led to my recent publication in Frontiers in Endocrinology (“Reframing Type 1 Diabetes Through the Endocannabinoidome–Microbiota Axis: A Systems Biology Perspective”), which laid the theoretical foundation for this project.
Beyond research, I am dedicated to building bridges between science, nursing, and patient experience. I believe that curiosity, empathy, and integrity are as vital to research as technology and funding. This pilot study is the next step in a larger mission to understand whether the immune and metabolic signatures we observe in other autoimmune diseases also occur in T1D — and how this knowledge might inspire new directions for prevention and diagnosis.
Through the CARE FOR T1D Foundation, I aim to promote independent, ethically grounded, and transparent research in areas often overlooked by mainstream academia.
Lab Notes
Nothing posted yet.
Additional Information
This pilot study will be conducted in Poland, which allows us to complete high-quality multi-omics analyses at a fraction of the cost compared to US-based laboratories. The infrastructure, collaborators, and ethical approval are already in place — we only need funding to begin. The study will include the first 20 participants, with plans to expand to 100 individuals (20 healthy controls, 20 at-risk, and 60 with Type 1 Diabetes) in a follow-up campaign if the preliminary results confirm our assumptions. We are already scheduled for publication in Frontiers in Endocrinology – Diabetes – Molecular Mechanisms under the topic “Inflammatory Biomarkers in Type 1 Diabetes,” and plan a rapid turnaround. Collaboration with Dr. Joanna Filipowska from City of Hope National Medical Center (Duarte, USA) will ensure top-level expertise and scientific rigor. Once funding is secured, data collection will begin immediately.
Project Backers
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- 1%Funded
- $10Total Donations
- $10.00Average Donation
