Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the ‘beta’ cells of the pancreas that make insulin. Without insulin, blood glucose becomes dangerously high. Management of the disease is physically and psychologically burdensome on those diagnosed and their families, requiring meticulous glucose monitoring and insulin administration day and night to stay alive.
The current standard treatments for type 1 diabetes are primarily insulin administration by injection or an insulin pump, coupled with technologies which aid in day-to-day monitoring and decision-making. Despite insulin’s life-saving role, the therapy itself is potentially dangerous if too much or too little is administered, and the condition still comes with long-term complications, including heart attack and stroke, vision impairment, kidney disease and nerve damage and reduced longevity.
This is why St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research (SVI) is committed to investigating other forms of treatment. Recent research has identified immunotherapies that suppress the disease’s immune attack and preserve beta cells, thereby delaying or decreasing the need for insulin injections. Testing newer immunotherapies, alone or in combination with proven ones, is a logical next step towards prevention and cure of type 1 diabetes.
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