The Sanford Project

The Sanford Project is an emerging translational research center focused on targeted diabetes research,  cures and care.

Worldwide, about 70,000 children aged under 14 years are developing type 1 diabetes per year. Type 1 diabetes, also termed juvenile-onset or insulin-dependent diabetes, is an autoimmune disease and metabolic disorder characterized by an immune-mediated destruction of insulin-secreting beta-cells of the pancreas, resulting in insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia. The primary clinical signs of type 1 diabetes are ketoacidosis - which can lead to coma and death - and chronic hyperglycemia. Chronic hyperglycemia is the primary cause of several macrovascular and microvascular diabetic complications. Insulin-replacement therapy is the life-saving first-line treatment for people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Insulin-replacement therapy is, however, not a cure and cannot prevent the further progression of the disease and the development of long-term diabetic complications. Thus, the identification of disease-modifying therapies and cures remain a major unmet medical need and the focus of The Sanford Project.

  • The mission of The Sanford Project is to identify and deliver a cure for type 1 diabetes in Denny Sanford’s life time.

The Sanford Project team:

  • uses translational research approaches that are built on recent advancements in regenerative and personalized medicine
  • designs and conducts pre-clinical and clinical proof-of-concept studies that are aimed at stimulating endogenous repair mechanisms resulting in the regeneration of insulin-producing beta-cells
  • investigates and assesses the potential beneficial effects of FDA-approved drugs, clinical candidate molecules and other approaches in delaying the new-onset, halting the further progression, or reversing type 1 diabetes in subjects with newly diagnosed or established disease


If successful, safe and clinically relevant solutions and cures for patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes will emerge in the near future.

To succeed a unique partnership has been put in place between The Sanford Project team, Sanford Clinical Research, and the Sanford family of Hospitals & Clinics. It is complemented in its activities by the national and international network of Sanford Children's Clinics and the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute with operations in La Jolla, CA and Orlando, FL.

The Sanford Project, one of the four Sanford Health initiatives, was made possible through the paramount generosities of Denny Sanford’s transformational $400 million gift and a $10 million gift by the Todd & Linda Broin family to Sanford Health and The Sanford Project, respectively.

Faculty within the Sanford Project:
Alex Rabinovitch
Guo Lab
Savinov Lab

News Articles

The Potential of Incretin-Based Therapies in Type 1 Diabetes
Suen Chen & Paul Burn. Drug Discovery Today. January 2012.

Diabetes and its Complications- a Disease of Epidemic Proportions 
346 million people worldwide are living with diabetes. November 14, 2011. 

World Diabetes Day 
Governor Daugaard has proclaimed November 14, 2011 Diabetes Awareness Day in South Dakota.

The Sanford Project Committed to Seek Cure for Type 1 Diabetes
Two-thirds of patients now enrolled in a first clinical trial. October 21, 2011.

12th annual event raised a record $1.1 million. August 22, 2011.
 
Sanford Health reports progress on clinical trial. August 1, 2011.
 
The Sanford Project & DiaMedica announce successful type 1 diabetes study in NOD mice. May 10, 2011.
 
Clinic-based program focusing on improving the health of those with diabetes. November 10, 2010.
 
DiaMedica announces research collaboration with The Sanford Project. November 08, 2010.
 
Curing Diabetes 
Elissa Dickey. "Project's goal: curing diabetes." American News. November 05, 2010.
 
Update: Sanford Project Clinical Trial
Kelli Grant. KELOLAND TELEVISION. October 21, 2010. 
 
Unique combination of FDA approved drugs could cure type 1 diabetes. July 29, 2010.
 
Sanford ranks in US News Media Group's 2010-11 best hospitals. July 15, 2010.
 
Kelli Grant. KELOLAND TELEVISION. June 11, 2010.
 
Rachmiel Levine Scientific Achievement Award. March 18, 2010.
 
Paul Burn. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. March 01, 2010.
 
Sam Kean. Science. January 28, 2010.
 
T.Denny Sanford donates $50 million to Burnham Institute for Medical Research. January 26, 2010.
 
DOTmed Business News. January 01, 2010.
  
Researchers join together to cure type 1 diabetes. June 5, 2009.
 
The Sanford Project. June 2, 2009.
 
Sanford Health seeks cure for type 1 diabetes. June 6, 2008.

Past & Future Events

October 27, 2011
Sanford Health-Fargo
Fargo, ND
 
Sanford Children's Health Research Center Annual Symposium
October 26-28, 2011
Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute
La Jolla, CA
 
September 21, 2011
Ramakota Conference Center
Sioux Falls, SD
 
September 11, 2011
Cedar Shore Resort
Oacoma, SD
 
August 19, 2011
Sanford Research Center
Sioux Falls, SD
 
May 25-26, 2011
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI
 
May 6-7, 2011
Ramakota Conference Center
Sioux Falls, SD
 
May 3-4, 2011
South Dakota Department of Health
Sioux Falls, SD
 
SBS 17th Annual Conference
March 27-31, 2011
Orlando, FL
 
Sanford Health-Bemidji
Bemidji, MN 
 
Willard Inter Continental Hotel
Washington, DC
 
June 11, 2010
Sanford Research Center
Sioux Falls, SD
 
September 17, 2009
Ramakota Conference Center
Sioux Falls, SD
 
A Massachusetts Biotechnology Council Disease Foundation Day
May 5, 2009
Cambridge, MA