Type 1 diabetes is a chronic illness caused by their immune system killing all insulin-creating cells in the pancreas that is developed most frequently in young children. There are no current cures for Type 1 diabetes, and those with the disease must inject themselves with insulin throughout the day to help their body convert sugars and starches into the necessary energy to keep them functioning through the day. (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).
A recent study conducted at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, in conjuncture with researchers from Germany, Austria, and the United Kingdom, have laid potential groundwork for creating the first vaccine for type 1 diabetes.
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Researchers from the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus found that children from families with a history of type 1 diabetes who took oral insulin each day developed a response that protected them from getting the disease. Children aged 2 to 7 years received either an oral dose of insulin or a placebo for 3 to 18 months, and results of the study showed that the children who took the insulin for a longer period of time had a higher immunity to getting diabetes.
Georgeanna Klingensmith, lead U.S. researcher on the project, from the School of Medicine at the Anschutz Medical Campus explained that “this is the first time we have seen a healthful immune response from any therapy used in children who are at a high risk of type 1 diabetes. The results showed that it was safe and none of the children developed diabetes, insulin antibodies or hypoglycemia.”
Although results are promising, it is still too early to tell how accurate this form of treatment would be as a cure for type 1 diabetes, but this method has the potential to lead to a vaccine for type 1 diabetes.
(Image courtesy of Jeffrey Beall via Wikimedia Commons).
The University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, CO is a multi-million dollar research marketplace. In the 2013 fiscal year, the Medical Campus ranked 32nd in the nation in amount of R&D expenditures, totaling $394 million. Currently funded research projects here include:
- CU Anschutz Medical Campus gained more than $772.4 million in private support through the Creating Futures Campaign in the past six years. This included more than $14 million to establish the Charles C. Gates Center for Regenerative Disease, gaining CU Anschutz world-class faculty expertise in stem cell research. The donations also included $17 million to establish the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome and $11 million that funded a new facility for the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
- NIH granted a $48.4 million five-year contract to the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, a collaborative organization between CU Anschutz, six hospitals, and local communities, to accelerate the translation of research discoveries into improved patient care and public health.
Biotechnology Calendar, Inc. holds an annual BioResearch Product Farie™ Event at the Anschutz Medical Campus that gives lab suppliers the chance to meet with researchers from more than 45 life science departments and over 10 academic research buildings on-campus. The 6th Annual BioResearch Product Faire™ Event at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus will be held on Thursday, June 18, 2015 and more than 400 researchers, PI's, lab managers, professors, grad students, post docs, purchasing agents, and other lab staff are expected to attend.
To learn more about participating in this event, visit the link below:
Researchers in Aurora, CO interested in learning about new tools and technologies available to use in their labs are encouraged to attend the July 18th, 2015 event. Visit the link below to learn more, and to pre-register to save time at the door the day of the event.
While in Colorado, make the most of your time and budget by participating in the other Colorado events happening around the same time. Visit the following links to learn more about the two events in Colorado on the days preceding the Anschutz Medical Campus event.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015:
Colorado State University, Foothills Research Campus - 5th Annual BioResearch Product Faire™ Event
Wednesday, June 17, 2015:
University of Colorado, Boulder - 17th Annual BioResearch Product Faire™ Event
