As
we inch toward the end of 2011, a look back over the past few months shows a
great deal of progress in JDRF’s efforts toward curing, treating, and
preventing type 1 diabetes (T1D) and its complications. Check out the latest
key advances from the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 (July through September
2011) in the “Research” section of jdrf.org by clicking on each of the “Cure,” “Treat,” and “Prevent” areas
and scrolling to the bottom of each page for a breakdown of progress throughout
the months; progress we regularly update to keep you abreast of the latest
developments in the fight against T1D.

Part
of JDRF’s efforts to cure T1D is through its support of research to better
understand the process that leads to the misguided immune attack on beta cells,
and to discover potential therapies to intervene at every stage of the disease.
Read the latest in immune research here. Another
area within JDRF’s efforts to cure T1D is focused on developing drugs that
could regenerate beta cells, potentially restoring their function in people
with T1D. For the latest in regeneration research, click here. The third
area of focus toward curing T1D is the replacement of beta cells. This is
possible through either whole pancreas or islet transplantation. Yet
transplantation comes with its obstacles, given the lack of sufficient donors
and the need for chronic immunosuppression, which comes with significant side
effects. Replacement research explores potential solutions to these obstacles, such
as encapsulation (shielding beta cells from attack) and beta cell imaging. Read
about the latest developments in replacement research here.

JDRF
is also working toward treating T1D and its complications, to improve the lives
and health of people at every age and every stage of the disease. One main
focus has been the development of an artificial pancreas—a device that would
combine a continuous glucose monitor and an insulin pump, which could help to
improve blood sugar control and even save lives. The past few months have
yielded many key advancements in artificial pancreas development; read about
them here. Glucose
control therapy research is another main area within efforts to treat T1D. The
development of ultra-fast insulin and insulin that responds to glucose levels
(glucose-responsive insulin), the improvement of insulin delivery, exploration
of the role of hormones in controlling glucose levels, and other novel
therapies comprise this important area of research. Read the latest
advancements in glucose control therapy research here.
Complications of T1D are a major concern to people with the disease, which is
why JDRF’s complications
prevention research is another main area within efforts to treat T1D. Diabetic eye
disease, one of the many devastating complications that can arise in someone
with T1D, is another focus that has seen advancements over the past few months.
Read about the latest
efforts
to target those people most at risk for developing diabetic eye disease, and
where research has brought us today.

The
third key area of research that JDRF supports is aimed at discovering possible
ways to prevent T1D. Prevention would represent a cure for people identified as
at risk for developing T1D, and could have a significant impact on the
increasing incidence of the disease. Recent studies have increased our
understanding of how T1D develops, have improved our ability to screen for the
risk of developing T1D, and are paving the way toward developing therapeutic
interventions to preserve residual beta cell function in recent onset T1D, and
now in people identified as at risk. Read about the latest in prevention
research here.

As
we make our way into the new year, JDRF is encouraged by developments from
recent months in the areas of curing, treating, and preventing T1D, and we are excited
to continue to share with you the latest in research progress. We hope you
continue to stay tuned and
informed!