JDRF - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Serotonin is commonly known as “the happy hormone” for its role in managing and moderating human behavior and mood but a recent discovery by JDRF scientists have shown that it also plays a rather different role – triggering the growth of new beta cells in pregnant women.

It’s been known for a while that women can produce new beta cells to allow for the increase in insulin needed to supply energy during pregnancy but how this happens has been a mystery. In an exciting new discovery, a team of JDRF researchers have identified key steps in this process and shown that serotonin is one of the triggers.

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Rob Palmer has won the exciting Grand Finale of Dancing with the Stars, and the type 1 diabetes community is abuzz with the news.

Rob has had type 1 diabetes since he was 7 years old, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation was delighted to be selected as Rob’s charity for the competition.

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After a tremendous semi-final Dancing with the Stars is down to three contestants, and JDRF is thrilled to report that one of them is our good friend Rob Palmer.

Rob’s dancing has come a long way since he started the show, when he joked that dancing partner Alana was trying to teach ‘a block of wood’ to dance. He now takes to the dancefloor with confidence and has impressed the judges with a number of different dance styles, including the jive and the salsa.

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Results from one of the largest studies of new diabetes management systems shows that using a combination of insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor results in significantly better long term blood glucose control compared to people using insulin injections alone.

Whilst it has long been known that insulin pump therapy can provide both a physical and psychological benefit to users, results from the recent Sensor-Augmented Pump Therapy for A1C Reduction trial (otherwise known as STAR 3) have shown that using an insulin pump in combination with a continuous glucose monitor can significantly reduce blood sugar fluctuations.

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JDRF has long been known for their elegant gala events and this year was no exception with the 2010 Jelly Baby Crystal Ball held in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.

Generously supported nationally by Platinum Sponsor Macquarie Group, the events attracted hundreds of enthusiastic guests who ate, drank and danced the night away whilst showing their support for people with type 1 diabetes.

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US-based clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of two new therapies for Diabetic Macular Edema.

Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) is a common health complication of type 1 diabetes and involves swelling in the centre of the retina (otherwise known as the macula). The swelling is caused by leaking blood vessels, damaged by periods of high blood glucose. People with macular edema lose their detailed vision and as such the ability to perform common daily activities. Severe damage results in legal blindness.

Laser therapy, the standard treatment for DME, has been used for almost 25 years. While it’s effective in early stage disease, new treatments are urgently needed for people with more aggressive forms of the condition. JDRF have been supporting a number of trials in this area, and in the last few months, results from two of these trials have shown promising results.

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Research released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare indicate that an average of 2100 Australians are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes each year, a large proportion of which are children aged between 0-14 years.

Australia has one of the highest incidences of type 1 diabetes in the world for reasons that are currently unknown – but with 9 in 10 people with type 1 having no apparent family connection to the disease, scientists strongly believe in the involvement of an unidentified environmental trigger.

According to JDRF Head of Research Development, Dr Dorota Pawlak, a number of suspects have been scrutinised including early exposure to cows milk, gut bacteria, viral infection and vitamin D levels.

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Thousands of advocates from across Australia have stepped up to help secure $35 million for a Clinical Trial Network.

Thanks to all the letters, emails, phone calls and media releases, the campaign for a Clinical Trial Network is having a big impact.

Unfortunately, no government commitment has been made, so funding for the clinical trials in Australia is still uncertain.

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JDRF’s favourite TV star Rob Palmer and his dancing partner Alana have secured a second place ranking on the scoreboard after an elegant Salsa in Episode 6 of Dancing with the Stars.

Halfway through the series, Rob and Alana’s masterful moves and charisma have earned the support of dancing fans and the type 1 diabetes community alike. Online, Rob’s fans agree that he is a smooth dancer as well as being fun to watch, with one web post announcing that Rob “can really move!” Read more about Rob in an interview with JDRF.

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Thousands of advocates have made their voice heard for a Clinical Trial Network, with new supporters signing up every day. The message is clear; Australians cannot accept that our country is falling behind the US and the UK in access to the latest treatments and therapies for type 1 diabetes. A Government commitment of $35 million for a Clinical Trials Network will take research to where it is needed most – directly to people living with this difficult disease.

So far, advocates have not received the answer they are desperately hoping for but it is not too late to get involved.

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