Research Goes Global

Children with diabetes can significantly improve their overnight glucose control with the help of an ‘artificial pancreas’, one of the recent public research meetings being held around the country by the Diabetes Federation of Ireland heard.

Ms Janet Allen, Researcher, Cambridge University, UK, told those at the meeting held in Dublin, about how the ‘closed loop’ works .Read more about the artificial pancreas here

These meetings are organised by the Diabetes Ireland Research Alliance (DIRA), which was set up a year ago as an offshoot of the Diabetes Federation of Ireland and in cooperation with Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

In its first year, DIRA exceeded its 12-month fund raising target for type 1 diabetes research of €50,000. DIRA is giving 50% of the funds raised to the diabetes genes, autoimmunity and prevention (DGAP) research project that is supported by the JDRF. DGAP is investigating the mechanisms that lead to the development of type 1 diabetes. This research could lead to key drug developments that prevent or reverse type 1 diabetes.

Irish Research

The other 50% of DIRA’s funds are going to support high quality Irish type 1 diabetes research. DIRA invited interested researchers to submit their proposals and DIRA had these internationally peer reviewed. The project chosen is being run by Dr Myles Balfe in the Royal College of Surgeons and will examine the quality of life in Irish adults with type 1 diabetes who are 23-30 years old.

“There has been very little research into this age group. The research project aims to look at the fact that when young adults get to this age, they tend to fall out of the system. And for different reasons, they don’t manage their diabetes well. They then quickly develop complications,” Mr Kieran O’Leary, CEO of the Diabetes Federation of Ireland told the Dublin research meeting.

The researchers will make recommendations to improve patient care. They will highlight strategies to improve the service that is provided so that these young adults improve their diabetes management.

Mini-Marathon and Lunar Walk

DIRA’s next fundraising target is to raise €75,000 for DGAP and Irish research by 30 June 2012. DIRA needs as many people as possible to get involved so it can continue this valuable work. To give your support, go to www.diabetesresearch.ie

“If you are thinking of doing the mini-marathon or want to have a quiz or want to do something for type 1 diabetes research, talk to us and we would be delighted to help you out,” Mr O’Leary told the meeting.

“If you are around on 25 June and you want to walk 30km around Dublin through the night in our ‘Lunar walk’ let us know. Last year 350 people took part and between them they raised €90,000 for diabetes. They were given the choice of where they wanted their money spent for education or research and €20,000 was chosen to go to research. It starts at 10 o’clock at night and you will get a good breakfast at the end.”

DGAP

A snapshot of ongoing diabetes research projects supported by the JDRF was given by Professor Seamus Sreenan, Consultant Endocrinologist, Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown. The DGAP research was particularly important because it would shed light on the link between genes and diabetes.
“The work of the JDRF in the DGAP project has shown that there is an imbalance between the t-cells that fight infection and in another group called, regulatory t-cells,” Professor Sreenan told the meeting.
“We are now investigating if there is a way to increase the number of these regulatory t-cells to prevent type 1 diabetes developing in people who might be at risk.”

Teddy project

The Environmental Determinates of Diabetes in the Young (Teddy) project is looking a large group of infants who are at risk of developing diabetes because their family has a history of diabetes. Teddy will follow these children long term to see which ones develop diabetes and which don’t. This will help to pinpoint why some children do develop diabetes and some don’t.

US research into sources for beta-cells

A JDRF US funded project is looking at stem cells. Stem cells are how we all begin in the womb after fertilisation – we start off as a bunch of cells that are all the same and go on to develop into any of the more than 200 types of cells the adult human body holds. The US study is looking at how to encourage stem cells to develop into cells that can make insulin.
“The advantage of this is that stem cells can be grown very efficiently and effectively in a laboratory situation. So potentially you could have an unlimited supply of cells. The challenge is to make the cells behave as beta cells. There will be a lot more progress in this area over the next 10 years,” Professor Sreenan said.

Sheila O'Kelly, Diabetes Ireland Magazine

Volume 9, Issue 2, Summer 2011

Last updated: June 2011