DRC & Research News

This page shares the latest news in T1D research and DRC’s community.

Get the most recent diabetes research news, delivered straight to your inbox

Join Us
Diabetes and Pandemic

A Rise in New Type 1 Diabetes Cases Amidst the Coronavirus Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has hit many countries around the world very hard, with millions of people being diagnosed with COVID-19. At the same time, researchers have also found that new cases of type 1 diabetes (T1D) have also grown. Though there is no definitive link between COVID-19 and T1D, scientists do know that in some cases, the virus may contribute to increased beta cell damage. Diabetes occurs when insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas are damaged or destroyed.

A small study in England found that the number of new cases of T1D at two of its five Pediatric Diabetes Network locations increased by 80 percent in April and May. Over the past five years, these two locations diagnosed an average of two and four new cases respectively during those two months, whereas this year, they have each diagnosed 10 new cases. Across the five sites, 30 children and teenagers (all under age 17) were diagnosed with T1D, and 21 of these individuals experienced diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Out of those 21 cases, 11 were considered severe, and 12 children experienced clinical shock resulting in four being admitted to pediatric intensive care units.

Although only two of the children tested positive for COVID-19 when admitted to the hospital, another 3 tested positive for antibodies meaning they had been previously exposed to the virus.

England is not the only country that has seen an increase in new T1D cases either. Studies in China and Italy both showed that since the pandemic started, they have seen more children than usual being diagnosed with T1D. There was no distinct tie between COVID-19 infections and diabetes in these countries either.

Additional research is needed to determine whether COVID-19 may play a role in T1D risk. There is still a lot about the virus that researchers do not know, and they are still exploring its short- and long-term effects on health. The Diabetes Research Connection (DRC), though not involved in this study, is committed to advancing research around type 1 diabetes and provides critical funding to early-career scientists. Learn more about current projects and how you can help by visiting https://diabetesresearchconnection.org.

Please DONATE NOW so DRC can keep bringing you credible, peer-reviewed T1D news and research.

Thank you

Learn More +

OUR PROJECTS

See our approved research projects and campaigns.

Role of the integrated stress response in type 1 diabetes pathogenesis
In individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D), the insulin-producing beta cells are spontaneously destroyed by their own immune system. The trigger that provokes the immune system to destroy the beta cells is unknown. However, accumulating evidence suggest that signals are perhaps first sent out by the stressed beta cells that eventually attracts the immune cells. Stressed cells adapt different stress mitigation systems as an adaptive response. However, when these adaptive responses go awry, it results in cell death. One of the stress response mechanisms, namely the integrated stress response (ISR) is activated under a variety of stressful stimuli to promote cell survival. However, when ISR is chronically activated, it can be damaging to the cells and can lead to cell death. The role of the ISR in the context of T1D is unknown. Therefore, in this DRC funded study, we propose to study the ISR in the beta cells to determine its role in propagating T1D.
Wearable Skin Fluorescence Imaging Patch for the Detection of Blood Glucose Level on an Engineered Skin Platform
zhang
A Potential Second Cure for T1D by Re-Educating the Patient’s Immune System
L Ferreira
Validating the Hypothesis to Cure T1D by Eliminating the Rejection of Cells From Another Person by Farming Beta Cells From a Patient’s Own Stem Cells
Han Zhu
Taming a Particularly Lethal Category of Cells May Reduce/Eliminate the Onset of T1D
JRDwyer 2022 Lab 1
Can the Inhibition of One Specific Body Gene Prevent Type 1 Diabetes?
Melanie
Is Cholesterol Exacerbating T1D by Reducing the Functionality and Regeneration Ability of Residual Beta Cells?
Regeneration Ability of Residual Beta Cells
A Call to Question… Is T1D Caused by Dysfunctionality of Two Pancreatic Cells (β and α)?
Xin Tong
Novel therapy initiative with potential path to preventing T1D by targeting TWO components of T1D development (autoimmune response and beta-cell survival)
flavia pecanha