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Our researchers are working on different ways to develop a cure for type 1 diabetes - from growing insulin-producing beta cells in labs to hacking the immune system.
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The Bukhman Centre for Research Excellence in Type 1 Diabetes will bring together experts from across Oxford to drive collaborative, cross-disciplinary research.
David Hodson, Professor of Diabetic Medicine at the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism in the Radcliffe Department of Medicine, said: “With this generous gift, we will for the first time be able to bring a multidisciplinary research approach to bear on type 1 diabetes. Oxford’s expertise in medical and physical sciences will allow us to make rapid and ground-breaking discoveries that will benefit individuals living with type 1 diabetes.”
Within its overarching goal of finding a cure for T1D, the centre will focus on three research themes:
The Bukhman Foundation’s gift will also support the recruitment and funding of senior academic posts, including fellowships and a professorship, to lead research into T1D. In addition, new scholarships will provide support for DPhil students.
The Bukhman Foundation was established in 2023 by Anastasia and Igor Bukhman to help improve lives and generate positive impact to people and their communities. The foundation focuses on T1D medical research, supporting open science, long-term collaboration and visionary thinking; and arts and culture, celebrating and expanding access, and helping the next generation of artists and cultural professionals to be represented, be innovative and excel.
In 2025, the foundation announced a £100 million pledge over the next 10 years to advance research and advocacy in T1D. By backing innovative projects and fostering collaboration among top researchers, the Bukhman Foundation’s aim is to spearhead efforts to address the unmet needs of millions of people living with T1D worldwide.
Anastasia Bukhman, Co-Founder of the Bukhman Foundation, said: “It’s an honour to be supporting Oxford University in establishing the Bukhman Centre for Research Excellence in Type 1 Diabetes. T1D is a condition that affects millions of people around the world, and we know that Oxford’s expertise and world-class research will be transformative in accelerating progress towards new treatments and, ultimately, a future where this condition no longer defines or limits lives. At the Bukhman Foundation, we know first-hand the profound impact that T1D has on individuals and families, and we are determined to bring about real and lasting improvements to the lives of those living with T1D today.”
Get to know the people who guide Breakthrough T1D, taking charge of how our organisation is run and ensuring we’re heading in the right direction.
Find out about our work to make T1D treatments available to everyone who needs or wants them.
Find out about our research to find cures for T1D and make everyday life better for those who face it.
We’re aware of growing concern around insulin supply in the UK, and we want to reassure our community that this is not a general insulin shortage. There is no need to change the type of insulin you use.
If you use the Dexcom G6 app on your Android smartphone, the newest Android 16 operating system may disrupt how the app functions.
We're calling for urgent reform as new report reveals older people with T1D are systematically failed by health and social care services.
Breakthrough T1D has helped organise an event hosted by Tomislav Sokol titled ‘Accelerating Breakthroughs to Address Unmet Needs in Type 1 Diabetes.’
Immunotherapy, beta cell replacement, smart insulins – we’re driving research in the most promising areas to find cures and better treatments for type 1 diabetes.
Insulin producing cells (known as beta cells) are destroyed by the immune system in type 1 diabetes (T1D). Finding ways to replace these cells would ultimately achieve Breakthrough T1D’s overall goal: to rid the world of type 1. There were a number of beta cell replacement therapies discussed at EASD, from investigations in their early stages to research trials which involve humans.
The trial which is furthest along involves a product called zimislecel, which published data at the time of reporting to show that out of 12 participants, ten remained free from the need to inject insulin for a year. Vertex, the company who run this trial, are recruiting for new participants, hoping to get 50 people to be part of the next phase of their investigation. They are continuing to monitor the current participants.
A French company called Adocia presented pre-clinical data on a product called AdoShell. This is an implantable device which contains insulin producing beta cells and does not require immune suppression. The company are acquiring funding to move to their first in human trial in 2026.
Allarta, funded by Breakthrough T1D, also presented pre-clinical data regarding implanted immune-evasive solutions which have the potential to replace insulin for people with T1D. Their unique design has been tested in animal models, with promising initial results. The company has said their products are scalable and there is a clear path to clinical use.
Data was presented from Kyoto, Japan, where researchers have been developing a new method to grow beta cells in the lab. These cells have been shown to replicate the structure of the beta cells when implanted into people with T1D. The one-year observations will be reported in August 2026.
A major talking point at EASD was the importance of early detection for T1D. Having an established T1D screening programme in countries across Europe would enable people who are shown to be in the early stages of T1D precious time to prepare for diagnosis. It could also allow people to take appropriate treatments to extend their time without T1D.
The ELSA study, which is currently ongoing in the UK, was discussed in a number of presentations this year. It is currently being run for people aged 3-13 to be screened for early stage T1D to see if you have autoantibodies in your blood. Autoantibodies are proteins produced by the immune system that mistakenly target a person’s own body cells. If these are found, you can prepare for the eventual diagnosis of T1D. ELSA is funded by Breakthrough T1D.
Alongside these early detection programmes, there are therapies that have been trialled to extend the time in early stage T1D, where no insulin therapy is required. These are referred to as disease modifying therapies. Teplizumab is a therapy that can delay onset for up to two years and was recently approved by the MHRA. Early detection combined with these therapies could delay the need for external insulin.
A therapy that is normally used in organ transplants, called Anti Thymocyte Globulin (ATG), was presented to be able to preserve beta cell function. These results show that even at low doses, there were signs of C-peptide. C peptide is a protein released into the blood when insulin is secreted, meaning it can be used to see if beta cells are still functioning.
Another approved therapy (baricitinib) was shown to be the first oral disease-modifying therapy, with new data presented at the conference. The data showed that when the treatment was stopped, the progression of T1D was observed. These results support that baricitinib can delay the onset of T1D.
As both ATG and baricitinib are already approved for use outside of T1D, it could be a cost effective and easy to access treatment for early stage T1D.
New insulins are being developed to mimic naturally occurring insulin. These include oral insulins and faster acting insulins.
Dr Nicholas Hunt, of the University of Sydney, presented initial research into the challenging topic of oral insulin. Initial results from the trial in various animal models showed a dose dependant effect which had a low risk of low blood glucose (hypoglycaemia). The company is looking to move to phase 1 human trials next year in Australia.
Dr Matt Webber presented a topic on fast-acting insulins. He has recently been investigating smart insulins which work faster and are responsive to glucose. These insulins would form ‘depots’ under the skin and would be soluble in the presence of glucose. There would be challenges to use this insulin in T1D, as the insulin has a long duration of up to one week, which would increase the risk of hypoglycaemia. In funding from the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge, he will continue research to try and develop a once-a-day insulin for people with T1D.
Data was presented to highlight the lack of diversity and inclusion in T1D trials across the globe. Analysis of current research into chronic kidney disease (CKD) in diabetes showed the majority participants were of White-Caucasian background. As the UK, particularly London, has a wide range of ethnicities, this is not representative of the current population. We also heard from Daniel Newman a former Breakthrough T1D member of staff, who gave a unique perspective as a person of black heritage living with T1D. He spoke of his experience of diabetes distress and feeling under-represented within research. He amplified that research is for everyone, and how representation matters.
Data was presented by Dr Janaka Karalliede, of Kings College London, showing that people of Black origin are at a higher risk of presenting with DKA at diagnosis, having diabetic eye disease (retinopathy) and developing CKD. This highlights the need for more diverse research populations.
He is currently running a trial in London aiming to find out the impact of ethnicity on kidney outcomes in people with T1D. This trial is in collaboration with Steno Diabetes Centre in Copenhagen with funding from Breakthrough T1D and will be completed in 2027.
Professors Richard Holt and Jane Speight presented the first-ever EASD guidelines on diabetes distress. Three years ago, the EASD board committed to developing clinical practice guidelines in this area, recognising just how much of a toll diabetes distress can take on people living with the condition.
Diabetes distress is a condition where the emotional burden of diabetes management leads to feelings such as frustration, guilt or annoyance and feeling sad, overwhelmed, or stressed. It can also include worries about complications and social interactions.
It is important to recognise that living with diabetes distress is not clinical depression. Diabetes distress is a natural reaction, and these guidelines aim to support your doctors and clinicians on how to support people with this.
The guidelines include specific guidance for healthcare professionals on the variations of real-world clinical assessment and real-world diabetes distress. There is a grading recommendation, which will then determine treatment if required. It helps to standardise care for diabetes distress, which needs to be implemented across diverse healthcare settings. It also allows people with T1D to advocate for themselves and make the case that diabetes distress matters.
Diabetes technology companies from across the globe attended EASD, discussing their new technology to make managing T1D easier.
Abbot Laboratories presented new research into their continuous ketone monitor (CKM) which will be integrated into their continuous glucose monitor (CGM) models. Alongside measuring blood glucose, it is important to measure blood ketones for people with T1D. If ketone levels become too high, it can lead to a life- threatening complication called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). DKA occurs when there is too much glucose in the blood and a by-product of a group of acids called ketones are produced. Elevated ketone levels will make your blood more acidic, which can lead to organ failure and can be fatal if untreated.
This would be a first-of-its-kind device that will enable people with diabetes to continuously monitor glucose and ketones in one sensor. This device could redefine care for people with diabetes who are at risk for developing DKA. They will be seeking regulatory approval for this device when the clinical trials are completed.
AccuCheck presented data on a predictive CGM model. This means that the CGM can estimate what your blood glucose level will be in the future (up to two hours) and work with an insulin pump to correct your levels. It also has low glucose predict and a night-time low predict function. These could help to massively reduce the risk of hypoglycaemia for people using the device. These devices are not yet available on the NHS yet, but is undergoing approvals to be listed for use.
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Anti Thymocyte Globulin (ATG) is an immunosuppressant drug, meaning it stops your body’s immune system mistakenly attacking and destroying its own cells. It is currently used when someone has an organ transplantation, to stop their body from rejecting the new organ.
ATG targets immune cells, more specifically the immune cells called T-cells. T-cells are white blood cells which are involved in fighting infection and can also lead to autoimmune conditions, such as T1D. Autoimmune conditions occur when the T-cells mistake the body’s own cells as foreign and destroy them.
The drug was tested in people aged 5-25 years of age who had been found through screening programmes in the early stages of T1D. It was conducted in 14 hospitals in eight different countries, including four hospitals in the UK. A study published in 2018 showed that ATG was able to keep the balance between attacking and regulating cells within the immune system, helping to preserve insulin secretion in people with early stage T1D. The aim of this study was to define the lowest effective dose of ATG treatment.
Results, published in the Lancet, showed that ATG is safe and effective in preventing the progression of T1D in young people at lower doses than previously investigated.
The results showed that both the higher and lower doses of ATG worked similarly in preserving C-peptide concentration. C peptide is a protein released into the blood when insulin is secreted, meaning it can be used to see if beta cells are still functioning. The lower dose, however, had fewer side effects when compared to the higher dose. This is a positive result for the researchers as it proved that ATG at a lower dose is safe and effective in people as young as five years old.
INNODIA started as a global partnership between academic institutions, industrial partners, and patient organisations. They bring together knowledge and experience with one common goal: ‘to fight type 1 diabetes’ (T1D). They work together with pharmaceutical companies, charities and funding bodies to investigate and accelerate research in T1D.
From its inception, one of INNODIA’s major goals was to undertake clinical trials. In doing this, they wanted to help researchers to prevent further decline in insulin producing cell (beta cell) function in people with newly diagnosed T1D. They also wanted to investigate the immune system responses in T1D and beta cell function.
To find out more about the INNODIA clinical trials network, please visit their website.
Breakthrough T1D fund the INNODIA clinical trial network across many different projects in a collaborative, working relationship. Our Director of Research Partnerships, Rachel Connor, said, ‘These new results provide strong evidence of another therapy that slows the progression of T1D, and is a major step forward in diabetes research. Low dose ATG protects against the loss of beta cells and so could be a valuable treatment in the early stages of T1D. This would give people the ability to continue making their own insulin for longer, which we know can help to make managing T1D safer, and improve quality of life. This research would not be possible without our collaboration with the INNODIA clinical trials network. This partnership is a critical component in delivering the cutting-edge research that is making treatments to change the course of T1D possible’.
Lyla died from diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a life-threatening complication that can occur when type 1 diabetes (T1D) goes undiagnosed.
Type 1 diabetes is a serious autoimmune condition where the body stops producing insulin, the hormone needed to regulate blood glucose. Without insulin, glucose levels rise to dangerous levels. This can cause diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening complication that can result in coma or death if not treated quickly. T1D is one of the most common long-term illnesses in children. However, approximately one in four children are only diagnosed when they develop DKA. Being diagnosed in this way is preventable if the signs and symptoms are identified earlier.
John Story, father of Lyla Story said: “On May 3rd, 2025, our bright, caring, sharing and beautiful little girl, tragically passed away in her sleep, less than 16 hours after being seen by a GP and diagnosed with tonsilitis. Our daughter is sadly the product of a system that too often overlooks the signs of type 1 diabetes in very young children. Change is desperately required at Primary Care level.”
Karen Addington, CEO of Breakthrough T1D said: “We are devastated by the death of Lyla Story. No parent should ever have to endure the loss of their child’s life as a result of undiagnosed T1D. Our hearts go out to Lyla’s family, and we are supporting them in their campaign to raise awareness of T1D.
“Currently, more than a quarter of children with T1D are only diagnosed when they are already in life-threatening DKA. This is too late. We can and must change this.
“The NHS needs to improve training to better diagnose children already showing the signs and symptoms of T1D. The NHS should also harness the new opportunities now available for early, pre-symptomatic diagnosis through screening. In this way we will save lives, heartbreak and improve the health of people who develop T1D.”
We are urging families and healthcare professionals to be alert to the 4Ts, the main warning signs of type 1 diabetes:
If any of these symptoms are present, seek medical advice without delay as a simple and immediate glucose test is the next step. Early recognition and testing save lives.
We are also calling for greater focus on introducing a nationwide early detection screening programme which would spot the early stages of T1D in children before symptoms develop.
Research into early detection screening for type 1 diabetes in the UK is establishing an improved clinical approach to diagnosing T1D before symptoms present. The ELSA study, funded by Breakthrough T1D, is the first national programme identifying children who are already in the early stages of the condition. Separate studies are investigating genetic risk factors, with some children being tested from just five days old using a heel prick. Together, these efforts could lead to a joined-up approach that helps identify children of all ages as early as possible, reducing emergency diagnoses and saving lives. It is vital that the evidence from research is used to develop a national early detection programme for every child at risk.
Tom Gordon MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Diabetes says: “Right now, there is no national early detection screening programme for type 1 diabetes, but clinical research in the UK is providing irrefutable evidence that early detection is key to preventing childhood deaths in DKA. We must build on this evidence and put prevention at the heart of how we diagnose and care for children.”
We will continue to raise awareness of the 4 Ts, increase access to early detection, and provide resources to both families and healthcare professionals. We are dedicated to making sure no family experiences the tragic loss of a child due to a missed diagnosis. We will continue to raise awareness of the condition, signs and symptoms and advocate for the introduction of a national early detection screening programme.
The study, by Lois Donovan, has been recently published to investigate the impact higher blood glucose levels would have on growth of infants and volume of breast milk consumed. They measured many variables, such as the different sugars in the breast milk (glucose, fructose and lactose), alongside measuring for a hormone called leptin. Leptin is produced by fat cells and helps to regulate energy balance in the body and is often associated with controlling body weight.
The study showed that increased blood sugar concentrations of glucose and fructose had no impact on weight gain of the infants, and it had no impact on volume of milk ingested. Lactose was not included here as levels of this sugar do not change between people with T1D and those without. There was a correlation in the study between levels of leptin in breast milk, BMI of the mum and volume of milk consumed.
These results provide much needed information and reassurance for people with T1D and supports that their pre-feed blood glucose does not need to influence their decisions to breastfeed. Larger studies are still required for this type of research.
For people with T1D, navigating pregnancy can be challenging with tighter blood sugar targets, higher insulin requirements and increased hospital appointments. When the baby is born, insulin needs return to that of pre-pregnancy, however managing this after nine months of a different regime can be difficult. Blood sugars can be expected to fluctuate, meaning HbA1C levels or time in range may change.
Breastfeeding uses up a lot of energy and calories, meaning there is an increased risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). It is well advised to keep some carbohydrate-based snacks in easy to reach places while breastfeeding to avoid this. Our pregnancy toolkit contains lots of useful information on this subject.
During hypoglycaemia, it can be easy to overeat, which would lead to higher blood sugars (hyperglycaemia). There may then be a feeling that they should not then breastfed until their sugars are in a better range, for a fear of giving the baby too much glucose via the breastmilk.
Breakthrough T1D has many resources to support women with T1D during their pregnancy, including a pregnancy toolkit, which gives information and support to women going through pregnancy and breastfeeding.
The issue affects both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as the HbA1c test is used in monitoring both conditions. However, HbA1c is not used in the same way to diagnose type 1 diabetes, so the impact on T1D diagnoses is expected to be far less. People with type 1 diabetes also have continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data to support and guide their care, further reducing any potential impact.
In contrast, HbA1c is a central tool for type 2 diabetes diagnosis and management, which is why recent reports have focused on that group.
The National Diabetes Audit shows no increase in type 1 diagnoses during the period when the calibration issue occurred (April – December 2024), and none of the 16 hospital laboratories involved have reported any impact on type 1 testing.
If you live with type 1 diabetes, this means your diagnosis and ongoing care should not have been affected by the issues raised in recent reports. As always, if you have individual concerns about your test results or diabetes care, we encourage you to speak directly with your healthcare team.
We remain in close contact with NHS England and regulators to ensure people with type 1 diabetes continue to receive safe, accurate testing and care.
Learn more about insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors, smart insulin pens and hybrid closed loop systems.
This announcement marks the beginning of a wider alliance of partners committed to helping every person who develops T1D begin their journey with the best possible support.
Early detection will reduce the number of diagnoses that occur during life-threatening diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), offering a safer and more stable starting point for people who develop the condition. Knowing that you will develop symptomatic T1D in advance provides valuable time for people to learn how to manage the condition, explore treatment options and prepare both emotionally and practically.
At the same time, type 1 diabetes is beginning to shift from a condition that can only be treated after symptoms appear to one that might be delayed. One therapy is currently awaiting regulatory approval, with many more in clinical trials
Early detection is opening the door to a future where living with T1D begins not in crisis, but with knowledge, preparation and support. Yet currently, there is no national early detection programme, and most people can only access screening through clinical studies. Our shared goal is to establish a comprehensive national screening programme by 2030.
As part of this programme of work, we’ll be developing a white paper on the benefits of early detection and a set of educational resources to help people understand how T1D develops. These materials will focus on the key signs and symptoms to look out for with a specific focus on the 4Ts which are tired, thirsty, thinner and going to the toilet more frequently. We’ll also provide guidance on how to access screening programmes and get tested once symptoms begin.
Karen Addington, CEO of Breakthrough T1D says: “Early detection of T1D offers something we’ve never had before – time to prepare, and options to act. Raising awareness. not only of screening but of signs and symptoms, is critical to ensure that more families can avoid the trauma of a diagnosis in crisis. Early detection provides a more hopeful beginning to life with T1D.”
We’re grateful for Sanofi’s support and look forward to welcoming more partners who share our commitment to changing what a T1D diagnosis looks and feels like, enabling earlier detection, better preparation and reducing the distress of emergency hospital visits.
Sanofi have provided financial support for raising awareness of the benefits of early detection of T1D but have no input or involvement into the content or output of our work.
Find out about the global research we're funding to find cures and better treatments for T1D.
Get information and advice about living well with type 1.
Join our mission to find cures for T1D and, until then, make life better for people living with it.
Breakthrough T1D UK played a key role in funding early-stage research into teplizumab and facilitating regulatory pathways. This breakthrough treatment is the first of its kind to delay the onset of clinical type 1 diabetes in people who are in the early stages of the condition, but not yet showing symptoms. It represents a seismic shift in how we think about T1D and its management.
Karen Addington MBE, Chief Executive of Breakthrough T1D said: “I am personally delighted and welcome the MHRA’s approval of teplizumab. After years of research, clinical trials and drug development, we have an incredible breakthrough. Teplizumab is an immunotherapy that will delay the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, a relentless and lifelong autoimmune condition. This innovative new therapy can help avoid life-threatening complications at diagnosis like diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which is caused by extremely high blood glucose levels. Sadly, many people experience DKA, and some do not recover. Teplizumab not only has the potential to save lives but also to alleviate the financial strain of emergency diagnoses of type 1 diabetes on the NHS.”
Teplizumab is an immunotherapy designed to target the immune system’s attack on insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. By modifying the immune response, it can delay the onset of clinical type 1 diabetes in people who are in the early stages of the condition but have not yet shown symptoms.
In clinical trials, a single course of teplizumab delayed the onset of type 1 diabetes by an average of nearly three years. In some cases, it delayed the condition significantly longer. This window gives people and families precious time to prepare, plan, and potentially benefit from future treatments.
Around 400,000 people in the UK live with type 1 diabetes; a relentless, lifelong condition that requires constant management to stay alive. Without insulin, blood sugar levels can swing dangerously, leading to long-term complications or even life-threatening diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which affects one in four children at diagnosis. Teplizumab represents a breakthrough. It can delay the onset of clinical type 1 diabetes, helping to prevent serious DKA episodes and offering precious time before the burden of daily insulin therapy begins.
Breakthrough T1D was instrumental in the early stages of teplizumab’s development. Over 25 years, the charity helped fund pioneering research that laid the groundwork for this breakthrough therapy. It supported early clinical trials and scientific discovery that demonstrated how teplizumab could delay the onset of T1D by targeting the immune system.
This early-stage investment was critical in proving the potential of immune intervention in T1D, a concept that was still emerging at the time. That proof-of-concept opened the door for larger trials and pharmaceutical development, ultimately leading to teplizumab gaining its UK licence from MHRA.
On Friday 15 August, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published draft guidance not to recommend teplizumab for use on the NHS. Draft guidance is not final, and it’s rare for a treatment or technology to receive a positive decision at this first stage. We now have four weeks to respond to the draft guidance before the next NICE committee meeting.
You will also have the opportunity to share your views with NICE on the draft guidance.
NICE will issue their final guidance in November 2025.
Steve Bates OBE, David Bruce and Dean Sowman
We are delighted to announce the appointment of three new Board Directors to Breakthrough T1D UK. Steve Bates OBE, David Bruce and Dean Sowman will join us in October 2025, strengthening the organisation’s scientific research, communications and financial expertise within our existing Board.
This year, we also say goodbye to Wilson Leech, who stepped down as Vice Chair of the Board and Chair of our Audit and Risk Committee in early July. We would like to thank Wilson for his dedicated leadership and service, both to our organisation and the wider T1D community, in support of all those living with type one diabetes.
Phil Aird-Mash, Chair of the Board of Directors said: “I am delighted to welcome Steve, David and Dean to the Board. Their appointments come at a pivotal time here at Breakthrough T1D, following our recent re-brand and the release of our new 10-year strategy. As we transition into a new chapter, we are delighted to have on board the extensive expertise and skills of our new Board Directors to help bring us one step closer to a world free of type one diabetes.
On behalf of everyone at Breakthrough T1D, I would like to express our thanks to Wilson for his service. As Vice Chair, Wilson championed and helped cement key strategic goals around research, fundraising, and T1D support – all with unwavering enthusiasm and energy. We will continue to build on Wilson’s work and impact, which I am sure will still be keenly felt in future.”
Steve Bates is a global life science industry leader who played a key role in organising the sector’s response to COVID-19 as a founder member of the UK Government’s Vaccine Taskforce. He will join the Office of Life Sciences as Executive Chair in September and is currently Chief Executive of the UK Bioindustry Association (BIA). BIA is a trade association for innovative life sciences and biotech companies in the UK.
Steve said: “Type 1 diabetes is ever present in both my work and home life, so I know that making practical change is a team sport that needs families, the NHS, companies and charities to work well together. I’m excited to volunteer my experience and networks as a Board Director to help drive toward curing type 1 diabetes, helping make everyday life better for the people who face it.”
David Bruce is a risk and compliance leader with significant experience of operating at a senior level, most recently as Ring Fenced Bank Risk Officer (SMF 18) since September 2023 and Head of Compliance since May 2017 at Santander UK.
David said: “I am both honoured and excited to be joining the Breakthrough T1D Board. As someone who lives with type 1, I know first-hand both the challenges of living with diabetes and the impact of the amazing work that Breakthrough T1D does. I am extremely passionate and motivated to support the organisation in delivering its mission statement of accelerating life changing breakthroughs to cure, treat and prevent type 1 diabetes and its complications and can’t wait to get started.”
Dean Sowman is a senior government affairs and health policy leader, and consultant to major life science companies in medicines access and regulatory policy. He has been a Senior Partner, Head of Health, and Board Director at WA Communications since 2019.
Dean said: “I am honoured to join the Board of Breakthrough T1D UK at this pivotal moment for type 1 diabetes research and innovation. The pace of scientific progress is hugely exciting and means that a future where cures are possible feels both very real and closer than ever before. I am excited to play a part in helping to accelerate that ambition.”
We look forward to working with Steve, David and Dean.
There have been theories surrounding why some people with T1D can survive without taking insulin for a long time after diagnosis. Typically, in T1D, the person diagnosed would have to inject insulin to replace the insulin producing cells destroyed by the body (known as an autoimmune attack). There are, however, cases where people require little to no insulin for longer than expected. This study was conducted to find out why this might happen, and if this is more common in different ethnic groups, such as African children or white, Western children.
A way to identify if a person has T1D, alongside blood-glucose testing, is to test for autoantibodies. Autoantibodies are produced by the immune system and target the body’s own healthy cells and tissues. In T1D, these autoantibodies attack the insulin-producing cells (known as beta cells).
The findings showed that 65% of children tested across Cameroon, Uganda and South Africa did not have the autoantibodies present which would be typically associated with T1D. They also had no genetic pre-disposition to T1D and did not have features consistent with other known types of diabetes (such as type 2 diabetes or malnutrition-related diabetes). This led the researchers to believe that a new form of T1D has been identified which was not of autoimmune origin (low or no rates of autoantibodies were present).
These results were cross-referenced with 3,000 children from the USA, using a research study called SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth. It was confirmed that the subtype was found in a small number of black American children and was not present in the white children tested. This highly suggests either environmental or ancestral factors.
Results like this highlight the need for diversity and inclusion in T1D research, as most studies to date have focussed on white, Western populations. These findings demonstrate the need to broaden our investigations into the biological and environmental factors of this condition to ensure that we have the tools and treatments truly fit for all, regardless of ethnicity and gender.
Breakthrough T1D is dedicated to supporting diversity and inclusion in research, and aided in the design and implementation of a policy in the UK called MESSAGE. This is a policy framework ensures researchers consider sex and gender in their research.
Although not directly involved in this research, Breakthrough T1D funds the research labs at the university of Exeter, where Dr Katte is a Translational Fellow with the Exeter National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). He led this research, alongside Professor Moffat Nyirenda, Director of the Medical Research Council / Uganda Virus Research Institute (MRC/UVRI) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit. Dr Katte has worked in labs funded by Breakthrough T1D for many years, conducting research and paving the way towards a deeper understanding of T1D.
In an interview regarding this new research, Dr Jean Claude Katte said: “Our next step is to investigate possible causes – ranging from infections and nutritional factors to environmental toxins. If we can find the cause, we may be able to prevent new cases and find new treatments.”
