The first public Type 1 research meeting of the Diabetes Ireland Research Alliance and JDRF partnership took place in the Gresham Metropole Hotel in Cork last Sunday 21st February.
Approx 120 people attended to hear presentations on JDRF’s cutting edge research agenda, specifically the Diabetes Genes, Autoimmunity and Prevention (D-GAP) project which is looking to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes.
Feedback from the meeting was extremely positive and attendees were very interested in supporting the partnership in their goal to promote, support & fund Type 1 diabetes research.
The partnership is hoping to raise 50,000 by 31st Dec 2010 which will be split equally between the D-GAP project and a high quality innovative Irish Type 1 research project.
A pledge of 10,000 was received on the day as the Cork Branch announced that profits from their annual Golf Classic would be given to Type 1 research. The Cork Parents Support Group also pledged to donate funds from their Cork mini-marathon fundraiser. Over 100 attendees also signed up to the partnership as supporters on the day.
On February 5th 2010, results from the JDRF Artificial Pancreas research project in Cambridge were published in leading medical journal “The Lancet.” The results show that Dr Roman Hovorka’s team at the University of Cambridge have successfully developed a system that can significantly cut the risk of overnight hypoglycaemia.
The article provides confirmation of the early results many JDRF supporters will have already seen. The study looks at results from 17 children and teenagers aged between 5 and 18 with Type 1 diabetes, who were studied during 54 nights in hospital. The team measured how well their artificial pancreas system controlled glucose levels overnight compared with the children’s regular insulin pump.
Insulin pumps deliver insulin at preselected rates, while the artificial pancreas system can change how much insulin it delivers in response to changing glucose readings detected by a continuous glucose monitor.
“Our results show that commercially available devices, when coupled with the algorithm we developed, can improve glucose control in children and significantly reduce the risk of hypos overnight,” said Dr Hovorka.
Karen Addington, Chief Executive of JDRF commented: “This study is proof of principle that Type 1 diabetes in children can be safely managed overnight with an artificial pancreas system. We need to redouble our efforts to move the artificial pancreas from a concept in the clinic to a reality in the home of children and adults with Type 1 diabetes.”
