University of Exeter Researchers Receive £400,000 Grant to Advance Innovative Type 1 Diabetes Treatments

University of Exeter Researchers Receive £400,000 Grant to Advance Innovative Type 1 Diabetes Treatments

(IN BRIEF) Researchers at the University of Exeter have been awarded nearly £400,000 from the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge to explore innovative treatments for type 1 diabetes. Led by Dr. Craig Beall and Dr. Tom Piers, the project will investigate whether brain cells that produce insulin can be used alongside pancreatic beta cells to develop long-lasting therapies, potentially eliminating the need for daily insulin injections. This research, part of a £50 million initiative by the Steve Morgan Foundation, Diabetes UK, and Breakthrough T1D, aims to transform type 1 diabetes treatment.

(PRESS RELEASE) EXETER, 22-Oct-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Researchers at the University of Exeter have received nearly £400,000 in funding from the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge to explore innovative treatments for type 1 diabetes. The project, led by Dr. Craig Beall and Dr. Tom Piers, aims to investigate whether certain brain cells, which produce insulin, can be used in combination with pancreatic beta cells to create long-lasting and effective therapies. This research has the potential to significantly improve the lives of the 6,415 people in Devon living with type 1 diabetes by reducing the need for frequent insulin injections and blood sugar monitoring, while also preventing complications associated with the disease.

The study will focus on growing insulin-producing brain cells and beta cells together using an “organ-on-a-chip” device, with the goal of developing cell clusters that combine the brain cells’ resistance to immune attacks and the beta cells’ capacity for high insulin production. This groundbreaking approach could represent a major step toward freeing patients from the need for insulin injections.

The funding comes from a £50 million investment by the Steve Morgan Foundation, in partnership with Diabetes UK and Breakthrough T1D, as part of a wider initiative to support innovative research and potential cures for type 1 diabetes. The University of Exeter is one of four institutions receiving grants, joining Imperial College London, the University of Oxford, and the University of Cambridge.

Dr. Elizabeth Robertson, Director of Research at Diabetes UK, emphasized the importance of this pioneering work, saying, “These high-risk, high-reward projects showcase the potential for transformative discoveries in type 1 diabetes treatment.” Rachel Connor, Director of Research Partnerships at Breakthrough T1D, praised the research’s creativity and potential, highlighting its promise in revolutionizing diabetes management and moving toward a future without the daily burden of insulin.

The research is also supported by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) Exeter Biomedical Research Centre.

Media Contact:

pressoffice@exeter.ac.uk

SOURCE: University of Exeter

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