IIT Madras, SLGS team up to develop early diabetes detection tools

India may soon see a breakthrough in the fight against diabetes as Sun Life Global Solutions (SLGS) and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have joined hands on a new research initiative.

The collaboration aims to identify pancreastatin as a biomarker for type 2 diabetes and develop genetic risk tests that can detect vulnerability to the disease years before symptoms appear.

Scientists will examine whether pancreastatin can reliably signal pre-diabetes and will also study 10 to 12 genetic markers linked to higher risk.

The effort is intended to move diagnosis from late detection to early prevention.

The timing is critical. India carries one of the heaviest diabetes burdens in the world, with nearly 77 million adults already affected and close to 25 million in the pre-diabetic stage.

More than half of these cases remain undiagnosed, leaving millions exposed to complications before treatment begins.

Current methods like fasting glucose and HbA1c usually confirm diabetes only after it has developed, limiting opportunities for prevention.

The project will be led by the Department of Biotechnology and the Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences at IIT Madras.

The team has previously mapped genetic and protein variations in South Asians that increase the likelihood of diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

This partnership seeks to extend that research into practical tools for early intervention.

Experts say the impact could go far beyond the laboratory. If validated, pancreastatin-based screening and genetic tests could influence public health policy, inform new clinical guidelines, and pave the way for affordable diagnostic kits that can be used in primary care centers.

The implications are significant not only for health but also for the economy. Detecting the disease early can cut long-term treatment costs, protect productivity, and ease the financial strain on the healthcare system.

For India, success in this project could mean a new front line in diabetes prevention. For the rest of the world, it could offer a model of how early detection reshapes the battle against chronic disease.