New British Study Aims to Stop Type 1 Diabetes From the Start

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By : Suvarna Sheth

A team of experts from Oxford University is hoping to prevent high-risk babies from developing type 1 diabetes from the get-go.

The INGR1D study is taking place in the Thames Valley in the U.K.  The aim of the large screening study is to identify infants who are at risk of developing type 1 diabetes early on.

The INGR1D study is an optional screening test that would be performed on a blood sample already collected as part of the standard screening tests newborns undergo to check for metabolic or hormonal disorders.

Taking part in the study would involve no further needles or blood tests.  Researchers hope to screen 30,000 babies to find babies eligible for the trial.

Type 1 diabetes can affect anyone.  It doesn’t necessarily run in the family.  However, certain people have high-risk genes and the INGR1D study hopes to identify those people.

If a child who is screened is found to be high risk, parents will be contacted to see if they would like to participate in the prevention study, which is called the Primary Oral Insulin Trial.

In the Primary Oral Insulin Trial, researchers hope to “train” the immune system of babies to tolerate the body’s own insulin to prevent type 1 diabetes from ever developing.  The powdered insulin would be given to the babies from 6 months- 3 years old.

Type 1 diabetes is a condition where the pancreas does not produce insulin, causing blood glucose to become too high.  The deficiency is due to a faulty immune system which attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.  Most people don’t realize they have developed type 1 diabetes until much later in life.  The result is life-long treatment with injectable insulin.

Pregnant women in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire in the U.K. are being asked to sign up.  If you would like further information, follow the link.