Prevent the immune system from ever targeting insulin-producing cells
Truly preventing type 1 means being able
to stop the immune system going awry in the first place. We must stop it from developing cells that can attack and destroy beta cells. To do this we need to know what causes type 1 to develop.
Genetic research has brought us a long way to understanding who is at risk of developing type 1, but as yet we do not know why some people at risk go on to get type 1, while others never do.
Research to prevent type 1 diabetes before the autoimmune attack has begun is sometimes called ‘primary prevention’.