Cure
JDRF: Dedicated to finding a cure
The insulin producing cells in people who have type 1 diabetes have been selectively killed by their own immune systems. Thus, to cure type 1 diabetes, the first thing to do would be to turn off the immune system attack. Next, you would need to find a way to put new insulin-producing cells in the body - either by making them from the remaining healthy insulin-producing cells in the pancreas (regeneration) or by making them in a dish and putting them into the body (replacement).
Beta Cell Therapies - Restore Beta Cells
Beta Cell Therapies are ways to restore the body’s ability to make insulin. JDRF’s Beta Cell Therapies research combines two overlapping therapeutic areas: regeneration (triggering the body to re-grow insulin-producing beta cells) and replacement (replacing the beta cells lost to type 1 diabetes). While these two therapeutic areas were once considered different paths to potential cures and treatments for type 1 diabetes, research has shown that they often converge, with scientific findings in one area advancing the other. The combination of regeneration and replacement into Beta Cell Therapies joins the resources and strengths of each into a stronger, more collaborative, and more targeted union that will drive toward a cure faster.
Within Beta Cell Therapies, JDRF prioritizes regeneration because of its potential to restore beta cell function in the largest number of people with type 1 diabetes. Scientists working in this field are investigating ways to generate new beta cells from progenitor cells, promote beta cell growth and survival, and reprogram cells that don’t normally produce insulin into cells that do.
Specific research goals, funding facts, and more information
What Will Your Support Mean?
We cannot cure type 1 diabetes without finding a way for people to begin producing their own insulin again. Your support of JDRF’s Beta Cell Therapies research will help us follow the most promising paths to that goal.
For more information, or to make directed gift to beta cell therapies research, contact Jack Hickethier (415) 597-6303.
Immune Therapies - Stop the Attack
A key part of JDRF's research is aimed at stopping or reversing the immune system response that causes diabetes: the attack on insulin-secreting cells in the pancreas. This attack must be stopped so that any therapies involving replacing or regenerating insulin-producing cells can work long-term.
Within Immune Therapies, JDRF is prioritizing antigen-specific therapies – which target particular immune cells rather than the entire immune system – because of their potential to produce the safest, most effective treatments.
Specific research goals, funding facts, and more information
What Will Your Support Mean?
Your support of JDRF’s Immune Therapies research will help JDRF accelerate progress toward developing drugs and other therapies to stop and ultimately prevent the immune attack that causes type 1 diabetes.
For more information, or to make directed gift to immune therapies research, contact Jack Hickethier (415) 597-6303.
To help you better understand what is involved in participating in a clinical trial, and to simplify the process of finding trials that are of interest to you (or your child), JDRF has created an online customized clinical trials listing service - the JDRF Clinical Trials Connection.
JDRF offers a variety of local and national e-publications to help you stay connected to the information you care about.
As the leading charitable funder of diabetes research worldwide, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International offers a wide variety of grants and fellowships to qualified diabetes researchers.
Visit the JDRF International website to learn more.
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