Last night I had the honor of giving a JDRF research update….in 10 minutes!! This was the fifth update that I have given in the last few months but the first in under a half hour. Starting off it is virtually impossible to cover all of the amazing, hopeful and exciting developments in the field of Type 1 Diabetes research. But I tried :) And here it is:

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The pipeline: JDRF funds every step along the way from a great idea, to the lab testing, to human testing, to FDA approval, to inusrance coverage and finally to the physicians and providers who will provide the treatment. It is a long process, often many years if not decades, but JDRF funds at every level to ensure that those who are living with T1D have access to the treatments that they need

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Improving Lives Research:

Devices: with insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGM) we have come a long way from testing sugar in the urine and taking one insulin shot a day. But we will do better! Imagine a pump that gives instant acting insulin with short duration so you don’t have to think about what you are eating, the CGM checks the sugar minute to minute and the pump gives you what you need only for as long as you need it.
Insulin: smart insulin that shuts off when you sugar gets to low avoiding those devastating hypoglycemic episodes.
Glucacon: pumps that can give the sugar raising hormone if sugar gets too low. Along with an insulin pump that supplies the life giving insulin.
Ancillary drugs: GLP (ozempic type) and SGLT (jardience type) work in Type 2,, they are being study for T1D along with insulin.
Complications: drugs to treat cardiovascular, renal and eye disease in T1D.
Mental Health: resources and help, T1D is a burden for all.

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Cures Research

Disease Modifying Therapies
- slow down, stop or reverse the disease
- moderate the immune response to reduce the assault on the insulin produceing cells from the immune T cells. T1D is an autoimmune disease where your T cells hate your beta (insuling producing) cells.
- reducing the T cell assault helps to preserve beta cell function, allows insulin to be produced for a longer period of time. Slowing down the disease.
- STUDY: out of Australia (JDRF funded) is looking at why T cells are never exhausted in there quest to eliminate beta cells. They are looking at a drug that will exhaust the T cells and slow them down, slowing down the disease.
- STUDY: BANDIT looking at baricitinib, a JAK inhibitor(used in other auto immune diseases like alopecia and rheumatoid arthritis) that helps preserve beta cell function in newly diagnosed T1D, slowing down the disease
- Preserve beta cell function so that some insulin is produced longer
- STUDY: Tzield, alreay FDA approved to delay the onset of T1D in those at risk, now being studied to see if it can slow down the disease in newly diagnosed T1D (those who still have some natural insulin although not enough)
- JDRF supports gobal screening! How can we prevent T1D if we don’t know who is at risk! Get screened JDRF.org/t1detect
- Grow new beta cells!
- STUDY: again in an Australian lab new Beta cells were made from natural stem cells in the pancreas. This was preclinical, meaning cells were in pitri dishes, no patients involved.

Cell Therapies
- Beta cells can be transplanted in pancreas transplants and insulin production occurs, giving a cure. However the T cells are still hostile so like any transplant, immunosuppression is needed. Lantidra is FDA approved infusion of beta cells, don’t need surgery but do need cadaver pancreases and immunosuppression
- Beta cells made from stem cells give an unlimited number of cells for research and eventually to treat people for many conditions. To treat T1D the stem cells need to be converted into beta cells that produce insulin.
- The beta cells still need protection from the T cells so immunosuppression is needed OR a way to physically protect the beta cell from the immune system (t cell). This approach is called encapsulation.
- STUDY: Vertex 880 is treating T1D patients with stem cell derived beta cells plus immunosuppression and the early study patients are doing well off of insulin!!
- STUDY: Vertex 264 is using the same cells but “encapsulating” them and implanting them into study patients. No immunosuppression. The study is early and they are still recruiting study patients to participate
- JDRF.org/clinicaltrials JDRF will help you find studies who need volunteers, check it out and volunteer if you can, help find the cure!!!

Gene Therapy
- Changing the genetic make up of a cell can make it behave normally. (At this time none of the procedures are passed on to next generations, they only modify the person with the disease, not their children)
- STUDY: Sana Biotechnology implanted gene edited beta cells into primates with no immunosuppression. The study continues to see if the cells make insulin and do not harm the primate.
- STUDY: Eledon Pharmaceuticals has a drug, tegoprubart, that can specifically reduce the activation of immune cells. It has use in transplants and auto immune diseases like T1D.

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This was a whirlwind tour of some of the research that JDRF is driving forward. It is only the tiniest tip of the iceburg. I hope it gives you hope! I hope you will support JDRF in what ever way feels right. Donations, volunteering, clinical trials, screening, galas, walks, rides, and so much more! connect with JDRF.org. Here is to a World without T1D!!!