2016 has been a monumental year for JDRF, with significant developments to advance JDRF’s mission while reaffirming our collective commitment to Cure, Treat and Prevent type 1 diabetes (T1D) and we wouldn’t have so much to celebrate if it weren’t for your support! Just look at a few of the great things you made happen…

> In our quest for a CURE…

Two developments were made in the fi eld of cell conversion. Patrick Collombat, Ph.D. of the Institute of Biology Valrose, Nice, France and Investigator Stefan Kubicek, Ph.D. at the Austrian Academy of Science have both identified triggers to chemically stimulate pancreatic alpha cells to change into functional beta-like cells. These results suggest it may be possible to “re-train” alpha cells that continue to survive in the pancreas of a person with T1D to become insulin-producing cells, a critical step toward a cure.

> In our quest to TREAT…

Another major achievement was the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) September approval of industry partner Medtronic’s MiniMed 670G hybrid closed-loop artificial pancreas system, the first ever approved to automate insulin dosing to reduce high blood sugar levels. In clinical trials, the 670G system proved to be highly effective at keeping people with T1D within their desired blood sugar range, especially at night, the most dangerous time for blood sugar lows. If it were not for JDRF’s support of the critical early work that the system is based on and our work with the FDA to develop guidance that defined the path for development, this technology would not be ready for market.

> In our quest to PREVENT…

One of the biggest stories in T1D research this year was the publication in June of the first results of the Fr1da study, a general population T1D trial in Germany screening children for beta cell autoantibodies at age three or four. Of the 43,000 children examined during the first 18 months of the trial, 144 were found to have two or more autoantibodies — an indicator of emerging T1D. Identifying children already on the path to T1D before they become symptomatic improves their early care, allows them to participate in intervention studies and is a key component of JDRF’s strategy to prevent T1D. We’ve come so far in T1D research; breakthroughs like these are helping to improve the lives of people living with T1D but we need your help to finish the job. Please consider making a year-end gift to JDRF. We thank you in advance for your generous contribution that will help every person living with T1D get closer to a life without it.

With deepest appreciation,
Lisa F. Wallack                              Amy P. Montalto
Board President                            Executive Director

Gifts made by check must be postmarked on or before December 31, 2016 and can be mailed to JDRF New England, 60 Walnut Street, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481. For your convenience, you may make a secure online gift through our website, www.jdrf.org, by clicking the “Donate Today” button. Stock gift instructions are available at http://jdrf.org/donate/stock or you can contact Gary Curto at 212-479-7551 or gcurto@jdrf.org for more information.