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Our research

One day, we will create a world without type 1 diabetes. Until that day, your support is vital for our international research to cure, treat and prevent type 1.

A type 1 diabetes researcher on Dr Rocio Sancho's team, working in the lab

What research does JDRF fund?

We fund international research that will cure, treat and prevent type 1 diabetes and its complications. We focus on investing in research that will transform the lives of people with type 1 diabetes – improving treatments today until we find a cure.

400+

Over 400 active research studies are being funded by JDRF around the world

21

JDRF-funded research is currently taking place in 21 countries

20

At any one time, JDRF is funding around 20 research projects in the UK

Learn about our research

Discover how we’re working to cure, treat and prevent type 1 diabetes

Recent research highlights

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A girl with type 1 diabetes after a teplizumab injection
Treatments

Teplizumab: The world’s first type 1 diabetes disease-modifying drug approved in the US

The US FDA recently approved a drug that can delay the onset of type 1 diabetes for up to three years, called teplizumab. This success wouldn’t have happened without 30 years of JDRF funding research.

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Illustration of the hybrid closed loop technology system, funded as part of treatment research for type 1 diabetes by JDRF.
Treatments

Hybrid closed loop to be recommended for over 100,000 people with type 1 diabetes

Since 2006, we have funded research to develop and test hybrid closed loop (HCL) technology, which links people's insulin pump to their continuous glucose monitor. Now, HCL is set to become available to many people on the NHS.

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Microscopic view of stem cells
Cure

Promising stem cell therapy for type 1 given green light to progress

For over 20 years, we funded Professor Doug Melton to grow stem cells into insulin-producing beta cells. Doug now works at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, who are running a clinical trial transplanting Doug’s lab-grown beta cells into people with type 1.

Latest research projects

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Daniel Doherty
Treatment

Improving islet transplants to treat type 1 diabetes

Daniel Doherty’s research project aims to make islet transplants last longer and work better to benefit more people with type 1.

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Professor Kourosh Saeb-Parsy
Prevention

Analysing pancreas biology to enable early detection of type 1 diabetes

Lead researcher, Kourosh, says his study has the potential to transform our understanding of diabetes.

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Dr Leslie Johnson
Treatment

Improving mental health and blood glucose management in people with type 1 diabetes and depression

Dr Leslie Johnson will explore whether a collaborative care model that is effective for type 2 diabetes can be adapted for people with type 1.

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Dr Chloe Rackham
Treatment

Can islet helper cells in the pancreas treat type 1 diabetes?

Dr Chloe Rackham is investigating how supportive cells called mesenchymal stem cells may help protect people from developing type 1.

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Dr Ify Mordi, lead type 1 diabetes researcher
Complications Treatment

The SOPHIST Trial: sotagliflozin for people with type 1 and heart failure

Dr Ify Mordi is an expert in heart disease and diabetes at the University of Dundee. We are funding Ify to run the first clinical trial of the drug sotagliflozin in people living with type 1 diabetes and heart failure.

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Professor Richard Oram
Prevention

Calculating a type 1 diabetes risk score 

In his JDRF-funded project, Dr Richard Oram is developing a type 1 diabetes risk score to predict who will develop type 1 diabetes in the future. The research Richard and his team at the University of Exeter are doing will help how we screen people for type 1.

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Professor Tim Tree
Treatment

Supporting clinical trials of ustekinumab

We are funding Professor Timothy Tree and his team at King’s College London to support clinical trials of ustekinumab in young people recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The team is analysing blood samples from people taking part in the clinical trials USTEKID and UST1D2.

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Professor Paul Johnson
Treatment

Supplying researchers with pancreas samples from donors

The Human Islet Isolation Facility provides researchers with pancreas samples from donors with and without diabetes. We have been funding the centre since 2009. The current funding is for Professor Paul Johnson and his team to continue to run the Human Islet Isolation Facility at the University of Oxford. Their goal is to supply 1 million pancreatic islets to research each year​.

Stories from the lab

Latest research news

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Nina Willer, who used hybrid closed loop technology through pregnancy, and her child.
Treatment research
7 November 2023

Hybrid closed loop technology set to be made available in England and Wales

The announcement is the biggest treatment breakthrough for type 1 diabetes since the discovery of insulin.

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T cell immune system
Research
6 November 2023

New research highlights the effectiveness of immune therapies for type 1 diabetes

The research, which was co-funded by JDRF, reveals that drugs that target the immune system offer very effective and rapid improvements in stabilising blood sugar levels, often within just three months.

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Dr Ify Mordi, lead type 1 diabetes researcher
Clinical trials
25 October 2023

JDRF award £1.5 million grant to University of Dundee for type 1 diabetes clinical trial

The new JDRF-funded clinical trial called SOPHIST will test a drug to help people with type 1 diabetes and heart failure.

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Young person receiving an injection of the immunotherapy drug teplizumab.jpg
Research
18 October 2023

Clinical trial finds teplizumab slows type 1 diabetes in people newly diagnosed 

Results from a clinical trial called the PROTECT study show that teplizumab can preserve beta cell function in children and adolescents newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Our research partnerships

We work with researchers and partner organisations to make sure we can improve life with type 1 diabetes as quickly as possible. Learn about the research we do in partnership with other organisations.

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Our research partnerships

Discover how we work with other organisations to help us make every penny we receive from our amazing supporters go even further to help people with type 1.

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Connect Immune Research partnership logo

Connect Immune Research

Learn about how we're partnering with other autoimmune research funders, pooling our resources to help prevent and cure a range of autoimmune conditions, including type 1 diabetes.

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A woman type 1 diabetes scientist in a laboratory

The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge

The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge is a partnership between the Steve Morgan Foundation, Diabetes UK and JDRF. We are united by our ambition to cure type 1 diabetes.