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Our research

One day, we will create a world without type 1 diabetes. Until that day, your support is vital for our international research to cure, treat and prevent type 1.

A type 1 diabetes researcher working on a beta cells project, in the lab.

What research does Breakthrough T1D UK fund?

We fund international research that will cure, treat and prevent type 1 diabetes and its complications. We focus on investing in research that will transform the lives of people with type 1 diabetes – improving treatments today until we find a cure.

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450+

Over 450 active research studies are being funded by Breakthrough T1D around the world.

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20+

Breakthrough T1D-funded research is currently taking place in over 20 countries.

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30

At any one time, we are funding around 30 research projects in the UK.

Learn about our research

Discover how we’re working to cure, treat and prevent type 1 diabetes

Recent research highlights

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A girl with type 1 diabetes after a teplizumab injection
Treatments

Teplizumab: The world’s first type 1 diabetes disease-modifying drug approved in the US

The US FDA recently approved a drug that can delay the onset of type 1 diabetes for up to three years, called teplizumab. This success wouldn’t have happened without 30 years of Breakthrough T1D UK funding research.

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Illustration of the hybrid closed loop technology system, funded as part of treatment research for type 1 diabetes by Breakthrough T1D UK.
Treatments

Hybrid closed loop to be recommended for over 100,000 people with type 1 diabetes

Since 2006, we have funded research to develop and test hybrid closed loop (HCL) technology, which links people's insulin pump to their continuous glucose monitor. Now, HCL is set to become available to many people on the NHS.

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Microscopic view of stem cells
Cure

Promising stem cell therapy for type 1 given green light to progress

For over 20 years, we funded Professor Doug Melton to grow stem cells into insulin-producing beta cells. Doug now works at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, who are running a clinical trial transplanting Doug’s lab-grown beta cells into people with type 1.

Latest research projects

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Prevention

Developing a better understanding of diabetes burnout

Dr Rachel Sumner and her team at the University of Bristol are investigating diabetes burnout, and how better to understand it. Diabetes burnout affects around one third of people with type 1 diabetes (T1D), and although known about, it is poorly understood. The researchers aim to find investigate the biological and psychosocial impacts of diabetes burnout, to further help future studies.

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A woman standing outside with greenery behind her, smiling and staring into the camera
Prevention

Developing resources to support people with body image issues and type 1 diabetes

Dr Rachael Hughson-Gill is a researcher at the University of Lincoln, who is studying how body image issues affect young women with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

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Treatment

Investigating how diabetic nerve pain can be caught earlier in younger people 

Dr Gordon Sloan and his team at the University of Sheffield are researching a new method to identify nerve pain (neuropathy) in teens and young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

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Researcher Dr Tom Wylie, a pale person with a beard and glasses.
Prevention

How can we better understand mental health risks in people with type 1 diabetes?

Dr Tom Wylie’s pioneering research project investigating the psychological impact of type 1 diabetes (T1D), in partnership with the Daphne Jackson Trust.

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A photo of Professor Kathleen Gillespie, a researcher investigating pancreatic function in type 1 diabetes.
Prevention

What causes immune cells to attack beta cells in the pancreas?

Dr Kathleen Gillespie and her team are researching how signalling molecules help coordinate immune cell attacks on the pancreas, contributing to T1D development.

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A photo of Professor Kathleen Gillespie, a researcher investigating pancreatic function in type 1 diabetes.
Prevention

What can pancreatic function tell us about how quickly type 1 diabetes develops?

Dr Kathleen Gillespie and her team will investigate whether existing tests could help predict how quickly a person in the early stages of T1D will progress.

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A photo of Dr Matthew Anson, a researcher funded by Breakthrough T1D and Novo Nordisk UK Research Foundation.
Treatment

Can hybrid closed loop technology affect eye problems in type 1 diabetes?

Dr Matthew Anson is studying whether hybrid closed loop technology, also known as an artificial pancreas, affects the worsening of diabetic eye disease.

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A photo of researcher Dr Samet Sahin in his science lab.
Treatment

Engineering a device to measure how much insulin someone is making

Dr Samet Sahin is developing a simple tool to allow healthcare professionals to quickly and easily check someone’s C-peptide levels, a measure of how much insulin they are releasing.

Stories from the lab

Dr Rachel Besser
Dr Rachel Besser
Dr Rachel Besser Consultant & Research Lead at Oxfordshire Children’s Diabetes Service

Teplizumab is just the beginning

Dr Rachel Besser, Consultant and Research Lead at Oxfordshire Children’s Diabetes Service, and researcher at the University of Oxford, on how teplizumab being approved in the US benefits children in the UK.

Latest research news

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Close up of a doctor's hand holding an injection vial of Tzield teplizumab near a syringe
Treatments
23 June 2026

NICE approves teplizumab, marking a new era in T1D care 

We are delighted with the decision to approve teplizumab for use on the NHS.

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CamAPS Liberty
Type 1 technology
9 June 2026

CamAPS Liberty®: behind the headlines

You may have heard of a new feature called ‘CamAPS Liberty’, which will soon be available on the CamAPS FX app. This ‘fully closed-loop’ (FCL) mode, when activated; will allow users to remove the need to count carbohydrates before a meal. But what does this mean for people with type 1 diabetes (T1D), and how close are we to removing meal announcement altogether? Here is what we know…

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ADA 2026 logo
Breakthrough T1D
8 June 2026

12 of 12 trial participants are no longer injecting insulin, thanks to new immunosuppressive drug tegoprubart

New data presented this week at the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) 86th Scientific Sessions shows incredible promise: all 12 participants in the Eledon trial, testing the immunosuppressive drug tegoprubart, are no longer injecting insulin.

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Manisha feeding baby Dillan
Breakthrough T1D
3 June 2026

NICE publish new guidance on hybrid closed loop systems for pregnancy 

In draft guidance published today, NICE recommends that anyone with type 1 diabetes who is pregnant or planning a pregnancy should be offered pregnancy-specific HCL technology.

Our research partnerships

We work with researchers and partner organisations to make sure we can improve life with type 1 diabetes as quickly as possible. Learn about the research we do in partnership with other organisations.

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Our research partnerships

Discover how we work with other organisations to help us make every penny we receive from our amazing supporters go even further to help people with type 1.

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Connect Immune Research

Learn about how we're partnering with other autoimmune research funders, pooling our resources to help prevent and cure a range of autoimmune conditions, including type 1 diabetes.

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A woman type 1 diabetes scientist in a laboratory

The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge

The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge is a partnership between the Steve Morgan Foundation, Diabetes UK and Breakthrough T1D UK. We are united by our ambition to cure type 1 diabetes.