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Home > News & events > News > Breakthrough T1D funds four new type 1 diabetes research projects in the UK
Four new projects are now underway across the UK researching different aspects of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Two of the studies are developing interventions to help people with T1D manage their condition by supporting people to exercise without fear of hypos and avoiding health complications by healing diabetic wounds quicker. The other two projects delve into the pancreas to explore the complex biology of T1D, with one researcher studying how cells in the pancreas influence each other and another investigating how helper cells could protect the precious insulin-making cells.
Read on to learn more about each of the four new research projects.
Dr Richard Pulsford at the University of Exeter is developing a tool called ‘GlucoseGo’ that predicts your likelihood of having a hypo during exercise. The tool would produce a traffic-light display based on your current blood glucose level and how long you plan to exercise for to tell you how safe it is for you and your blood glucose levels. He hopes this simple tool will help alleviate the fear of hypos during exercise for people with T1D which is a common barrier to exercise.
In this project, Richard will test GlucoseGo using data from children under 12 and ask adults and children with T1D to help design what the tool should look like and how it could be used. Find out more about Richard’s research project.
Dr Rebecca Dewhurst-Trigg at the University of Exeter is trying to protect the insulin-making cells, called beta cells, using another type of cell referred to as ‘islet helper cells’. These helper cells make lots of useful things including the building blocks of a protective coating around the islets.
By studying how these helper cells support the barrier around islets to protect beta cells , Rebecca aims to uncover new ways to protect beta cells against the immune system attack in T1D. Find out more about Rebecca’s research project.
T1D can mean any wounds you get take longer to heal, may get infected more easily, and lead to pressure ulcers. At Aston University, Dr Mandeep Kaur Marwah is developing a new type of dressing to help diabetic wounds heal more quickly. Her new dressing uses a molecule called hydrogen sulphide, which is important for reducing inflammation and promoting the growth of new skin and blood vessels.
Mandeep will test how safe and effective the dressing is using a 3D model of a diabetic wound. Learn more about Mandeep’s research project.
Dr Thomas Hill at University of Oxford is looking at how the cells in the pancreas that make different hormones affect each other. These hormone-making cells live together in clusters called islets. Beta cells make insulin, while delta cells make somatostatin, which has lots of functions including affecting the release of other hormones in the islet. Thomas thinks the delta cells could play a role in causing low blood glucose in T1D and understanding more about them may help prevent hypos.
In this project, Thomas will study the changes to the delta cells that occur during the development of T1D that may cause them to release too much somatostatin and impact the other islet cells. Learn more about Thomas’ research project.
These four researchers all received one of our Small Grant Awards, which fund budding researchers in the UK to run year-long studies in any area of type 1 diabetes researchers. These small grants support researchers who have recently completed their PhDs to progress their careers in type 1 diabetes research.
While these four researchers get started on their exciting projects other UK-based scientists can now apply for our next round of Small Grant Awards. If you’re an early career researcher in the UK, find more information on our Small Grant Awards webpage.
Read our top takeaways from the ‘Recruiting to medical research programmes and trials – how can we be smarter and more equitable?’ webinar.
Researchers funded by Breakthrough T1D in the US have published promising new data that could help to improve islet transplantation for people with T1D.
A new paper co-authored by Breakthrough T1D, Diabetes UK, and Kidney Research UK has identified six themes to tackle diabetic kidney disease.
Sana Biotechnology, a US-based biotech company, has released clinical data showing that the first person receiving engineered islets from deceased donors is now producing insulin without the need for immunosuppressive drugs.
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.
