JDRF - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

People with type 1 diabetes who have already been successful in achieving recommended blood sugar goals can further benefit from using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices, according to results of a major multi-center clinical trial by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Findings of the study were published online by the journal Diabetes Care, available at http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/recent.

According to the JDRF study, using CGM devices enables people who have achieved excellent control (with HbA1c levels below 7 percent) to continue to tightly manage their diabetes while cutting down on the frequency of low blood sugars, called hypoglycemia. Research has shown that good blood sugar control is a key factor in reducing the risk of the devastating long-term complications of type 1 diabetes, such as blindness and kidney disease — but that the fear of low blood sugar emergencies often prevents many people from achieving tight control, and remains a constant concern for those who manage their type 1 diabetes well. The landmark Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) showed that with intensive insulin therapy, excellent blood glucose control was obtained, but at the expense of a considerable increase in hypoglycemia. Today, the JDRF study has shown that, with CGM, hypoglycemia can be reduced while maintaining excellent blood sugar control.

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JDRF has described the nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court of Judge Sonia Sotomayor as ‘historic’. Ms Sotomayor has had type 1 diabetes since she was eight years old.

JDRF Australia CEO Mike Wilson said Ms. Sotomayor represents another important role model for people living with diabetes. “This is further proof that there is no barrier to people with type 1 diabetes achieving top honours in any field. Clinical advances and research progress are enabling people with type 1 diabetes to lead full and successful lives.”

US President Barack Obama described Ms Sotomayor’s Puerto Rican heritage, childhood in public housing projects and Yale Law School training but some commentators have debated whether type 1 diabetes may have an impact in her new role.

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JDRF originated as a volunteer led organisation, and the passion and dedication of those who provide time, resources, and experience is the key to our growth and continued progress in the search for a cure for type 1 diabetes.

Youth Ambassadors make up a large part of our volunteer base and we are pleased to announce the 2008 Youth Ambassador of the year winners.

National

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Jazmin appeared on Adelaide’s Channel 31 program called ‘The Noticeboard’, shown on Wednesday nights at 7pm. The interview was a 7 minute segment filmed live and Jazmin excelled under pressure.

Jazmin not only informed Adelaide viewers that JDRF is aiming for $1 Million from Jelly Baby Month sales this month, but also where to buy them from and reminded all that ‘Jelly Babies save lives’. Jazmin is looking forward to her next media moment, including getting some media and public speaking training from the ‘Speakers Studio’ in Adelaide along with other keen JDRF Ambassadors.

Jazmin isn’t the only potential TV star in South Australia as Thomas Hayes has been offered work experience with Channel 9, and Emma Russell has work experience with Channel 7.

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Professor Chris Goodnow has been elected as a Fellow of the prestigious British academy of science, The Royal Society.

Professor Goodnow is a Principal Investigator in the Australian Islet Transplantation Program, managed by JDRF, and is Head of the Program in Immunology at the John Curtin School of Medical Research at ANU.

Professor Goodnow’s election ranks him amongst current Fellows like Stephen Hawking and Richard Dawkins, as well as those from the Society’s 350 year history, such as Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.

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For many years, researchers have suspected that bacteria, viruses and other micro-organisms play an important role in the development of autoimmune conditions such as type 1 diabetes. This “hygiene hypothesis” postulates that our decreasing exposure to a lower amount of bugs and germs may leave some people more susceptible to autoimmune attacks.

A team of researchers from Yale University in the US have leant further support to this hypothesis by demonstrating that a certain strain of research mice were far more likely to develop type 1 diabetes when raised in a special germ-free environment as opposed to normal laboratory conditions.

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A recent study shows that a new type of stem cell transplantation may help people with type 1 diabetes become insulin free and increase C-peptide levels.

Researchers have used a transplant of a patient’s own treated blood cells to increase and preserve beta cell function in young people recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

The research team, from the US and Brazil, hoped that if they intervened early enough they could wipe out and then rebuild the body’s immune system by using stem cells, preserving a reservoir of beta cells and allowing them to regenerate.

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Australian scientists have made a discovery that may one day remove the need for a lifetime of toxic immunosuppressive drugs after organ transplants.

Researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have successfully tested a method of adjusting the immune system for just long enough to receive a tissue transplant and accept it as ‘self’. At no stage, during or after the procedure, is there any need for immunosuppressive drugs.

Lead by Professor Jonathon Sprent, the research team used a special immune boosting “complex” to successfully transplant islet cells into diabetic mice without the need of immunosuppression.

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Stem cell therapy grows new blood vessels

JDRF-funded researchers in Canada have successfully used specially selected stem cells to grow new blood vessels to treat the vascular complications of diabetes.

Lead researcher Dr David Hess isolated and purified three different types of stem cell from bone marrow, then injected this compound into mice with major blood vessel damage. He found that the stem cells had a natural ability to hone into the area requiring repair, and treatment resulted in significantly improved blood flow for the mice.

This research is now being tested in a multi-centre clinical trial run by the biopharmaceutical company Aldagen.

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Ten year old Youth Ambassador Danny Herivel worked the room like a seasoned politician at the recent NSW Government Community Cabinet meeting in his home town of Newcastle.

Dan discussed type 1 diabetes with 11 of the 22 Ministers who attended, including the Health Minister and the Minister for Science and Medical Research. And he didn’t miss a beat when the Premier, the Hon. Nathan Rees MP, walked over to say “You must be Danny”.

Dan’s mum Julie reported that Dan was ‘a breath of fresh air at the meeting’. It seems that most of the Ministers knew about JDRF and were receptive. Like many in the community, some of the politicians mixed up type 1 with type 2 diabetes but Dan was quick to point out the difference. Hearing about type 1 from such an eloquent YA, the politicians are unlikely to make that mistake again.

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