Justin Annes

Justin P. Annes, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Gerontology and Metabolism, Stanford University School of Medicine

Research Description: Dr. Annes is a physician scientist who directs a diabetes-focused research effort at Stanford University. His interdisciplinary research program studies the molecular basis of β-cell failure with the intent of identifying and developing small molecule therapeutics. His primary contributions to the field have been in the identification of novel pathways and small molecules that enhance β-cell function (glucose- stimulated insulin secretion) and replication. Currently a major effort of the laboratory is to identify novel therapeutic targets, perform small molecule screening for hit to lead development through rational drug design and structure-activity relationship studies, and develop methodologies for β-cell-targeted drug delivery. Dr. Annes directs the SDRC Enrichment Program, and runs Stanford’s monthly Diabetes Research in Progress Seminar series. Additionally, he is co-leader of the Pancreas and Islet Research Affinity Group of SDRC.

Selected relevant publications (SDRC Members in BOLD):

  1. Allegretti PA, Horton TM, Abdolazimi Y, Moeller HP, Yeh B, Caffet M, Michel G, Smith M, Annes JP. Generation of highly potent DYRK1A-dependent inducers of human β-Cell replication via Multi-Dimensional compound optimization. Bioorg Med Chem. 2020 Jan 1;28(1):115193. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2019.115193. PMID: 31757680; PMCID: PMC6941846.

  2. Horton TM, Allegretti PA, Lee S, Moeller HP, Smith M, Annes JP. Zinc-Chelating Small Molecules Preferentially Accumulate and Function within Pancreatic β Cells. Cell Chem Biol. 2019 Feb 21;26(2):213-222.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2018.10.019. PMID: 30527998; PMCID: PMC6386607.

  3. Abdolazimi Y, Zhao Z, Lee S, Xu H, Allegretti P, Horton TM, Yeh B, Moeller HP, Nichols RJ, McCutcheon D, Shalizi A, Smith M, Armstrong NA, Annes JP. CC-401 Promotes β-Cell Replication via Pleiotropic Consequences of DYRK1A/B Inhibition. Endocrinology. 2018 Sep 1;159(9):3143-3157. doi: 10.1210/en.2018-00083. PMID: 29514186; PMCID: PMC6287593.

  4. Nagy N, de la Zerda A, Kaber G, Johnson PY, Hu KH, Kratochvil MJ, Yadava K, Zhao W, Cui Y, Navarro G, Annes JP, Wight TN, Heilshorn SC, Bollyky PL, Butte MJ. Hyaluronan content governs tissue stiffness in pancreatic islet inflammation. J Biol Chem. 2018 Jan 12;293(2):567-578. doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA117.000148. PMID: 29183997; PMCID: PMC5767862.

  5. Hosseini-Nassab N, Samanta D, Abdolazimi Y, Annes JP, Zare RN. Electrically controlled release of insulin using polypyrrole nanoparticles. Nanoscale. 2017 Jan 7;9(1):143-149. doi: 10.1039/c6nr08288b. PMID: 27929180; PMCID: PMC5215613.