Diabetes research is conducted by various organizations across the world in order to prevent, treat, and cure all forms of the disease, Diabetes Mellitus. Some of these organizations are funded by the government, while other associations rely on monetary support from donations. They may use different methods of research and trials, but they all share a common goal, to stop Diabetes. Some of these organizations have been around for decades and include The Diabetes Research Institute, the American Diabetes Association, and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Juvenile Diabetes Research
Juvenile Diabetes research focuses on all topics related to Type 1 or Juvenile Diabetes. For example, research institutions may conduct trials experimenting for a cure for the disease or they may work on a prevention of Diabetic eye disease. They research any subject that will improve the quality of life for a person struggling with Juvenile Diabetes. The only research they do not conduct involves Type 2 Diabetes research. As the diseases are so different, most researchers choose one or the other as their primary focus in order to gain the most advances.
A Diabetes new research topic that recently made headlines is the introduction of an artificial pancreas that would replace the function of the pancreas in an individual with Type 1 Diabetes. The individual would essentially be able to function as if they did not have the disease. The artificial pancreas is a not a transplanted pancreas, but rather a device that mimic the regulatory function of a healthy pancreas and when the sugar level is too high or too low, the artificial pancreas responds accordingly with insulin.
It is more advanced than insulin pumps because the pumps need to be programmed, while the artificial pancreas has a sensor placed under the skin, which measures an individual’s blood sugar level and then transmits the data to a receiver, which tells the pump how much insulin to secrete.The device is by no means a cure, but it does free an individual from constantly checking their levels, counting carbohydrates, and injecting themselves numerous times a day.While this product is widely available in other countries, the Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve this device for commercial use in the United States.
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, commonly known as JDRF, was founded in 1970, in order to improve the quality of life for all individuals who suffer from Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. This organization has funded over 1.5 billion dollars of research, education, and clinical trials in nineteen countries. Each year, they sponsor the Walk to Cure Diabetes event in which walkathons are held across the nation to raise funds for the disease. In addition, they choose two children every two years to serve as delegates representing their state in Washington D.C. at the Children Congress, which is JDRF’s main advocacy program.
