JDRF - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

A JDRF-funded clinical trial by researchers in America and China has used stem cells from umbilical cord blood to ‘re-educate’ the immune cells that cause type 1 diabetes.

By targeting the autoimmune response that attacks beta cells in type 1 diabetes, researchers aimed to improve beta cell function in people with the disease and enable them to resume insulin production.

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The international arm of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) has partnered with US company InnoCentive to launch an USD$100,000 ‘Challenge’ for new ideas that may lead to the formulation of a drug that would remove or reduce the need for injections for people with type 1 diabetes.

InnoCentive finds new ways to solve technological and scientific problems using crowdsourcing and open innovation. The idea is to use the web to build connections between R&D problems or ‘Challenges’ and ‘Solvers’, who are creative people that might work or study in different industries or fields, or perhaps in other countries.

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JDRF researchers have shown for the first time that other pancreas cells can spontaneously re-program themselves to produce insulin without the need for complex genetic modification or surgical transplantation.

Under healthy conditions, beta cells regenerate slowly to respond to increased insulin requirements or to replace those lost by injury. In the case of type 1 diabetes however, the beta cells are destroyed faster than they can naturally regenerate.

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A move towards individualised insulin therapy targets

After extensive discussion in Australia and overseas, Australian diabetes health professionals have released a new position statement on blood sugar targets for people with type 1 diabetes. Following the results of the Diabetes Control and Complications trial, the ideal target of a HbA1c of 7% was set across the board.

Recent research has suggested that one size may not fit all and to address this, the Australian Diabetes Society now officially recommends that people with severe hypoglycemia or hypoglycemia unawareness should set their HbA1c targets at 8% or less.

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