Progress to be proud of in fiscal year 2017

During the past year, some of JDRF’s highest priority initiatives have come to fruition and key pieces of the type 1 diabetes (T1D) puzzle have fallen into place. From new tricks in beta cell biology to the most automation and broadest access yet for diabetes devices, these five advances made fiscal year 2017 a year to celebrate.

Regeneration

Scientists learned different ways to help regenerate insulin-producing cells that are lost in T1D. The strategies work by triggering other cells in the pancreas, like alpha cells, to change teams and become more like beta cells, producing insulin to regulate blood-sugar levels.

Beta Cell Replacement

Researchers identified a way to interrupt the body’s immune response to implanted medical devices. This could allow infusion sets, sensors for continuous glucose monitors, cell encapsulation containers and other devices to work better for longer periods of time.

Prevention

A screening study has identified 153 children so far with markers of T1D and prevented 12 of them from experiencing diabetic ketoacidosis, a potentially life-threatening condition, by diagnosing T1D before any symptoms appeared. This study could help around 200 more children in Bavaria, and a similar screening trial recently began in the United States.

Artificial Pancreas

The first system to automate insulin dosing was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. This first-generation artificial pancreas system allows better blood-sugar control with less effort, and ongoing development across the field will deliver additional choices that further improve outcomes and ease the burdens of managing T1D.

Advocacy

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services agreed to provide Medicare beneficiaries with reimbursement for continuous glucose monitors that are approved for informing diabetes treatment decisions. This landmark decision means more people than ever can reap the benefits of state-of-the-art diabetes technology.

Life with T1D has changed dramatically over the decades, and this year has brought the most exciting research progress yet. We haven’t gotten there yet, but we know one day we will cure this disease, thanks to T1D champions like you. Join the quest to end T1D.