JDRF - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

JDRF-funded researchers at the University of Queensland have launched a clinical trial into a new blood test they hope will be able to accurately predict people at risk of type 1 diabetes.

The test is the result of research that has identified a link between the onset of type 1 diabetes and a special type of protein called NF-Kappa B. In a healthy immune system, this protein is an important component of the immune response to infection. In people with type 1 diabetes, and seemingly also in people at risk of developing type 1 diabetes, this protein is constantly activated resulting in the autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.

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Breakthrough research by a Sydney-based research team has shown that the amount of dietary fibre in the diet plays a fundamental role in keeping the immune system healthy and autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes at bay.

The role of nutrition and gut health in the development of autoimmune disease is an exciting new field of investigation. Researchers initially targeted this area to understand why autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes were so prevalent in western countries.

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