Finding new ways to treat hypoglycaemia unawareness

Overview

Up to 30 per cent of people with type 1 have some degree of hypoglycaemia unawareness, meaning that they don’t develop, or don’t recognise, the symptoms of a hypo. This can significantly increase their risk of a severe hypo.

Dr Weightman-Potter is studying the way the brain detects hypos, to find ways to treat hypoglycaemia unawareness, so that people with type 1 can live safer lives without the fear of a sudden, unexpected hypo.

What will Dr Weightman-Potter do?

The brain is an important sensor of changes in blood glucose, so Dr Weightman-Potter will look at the brain’s role in causing hypo unawareness.

In particular, his team previously showed that after repeated episodes of hypoglycaemia, a special type of brain cell becomes less dependent on glucose for energy, and prefers to use fats instead.

For his JDRF-funded project, Dr Weightman-Potter will first test his theory that these cells’ switch to fat as a source of energy is impairing the way the brain senses and responds to low blood glucose levels.

If this is the case, he will see if the change is reversible by using drugs and genetic manipulation to make the brain cells less reliant on fat for energy, and testing their ability to detect hypoglycaemia.

Finally, Dr Weightman-Potter hopes to investigate the precise cellular mechanisms that are causing this switch to fat-burning, to determine what treatments could be used to target the process and reverse it in people with type 1.

How will this research help people with type 1?

People with hypoglycaemia unawareness are six to eight times more likely to have a severe hypo, where they need help to bring their levels back to a safe range.

Worryingly, the rate of hypoglycaemia unawareness has not changed in the last 20 to 30 years, despite the advent of more tailored insulins and continuous glucose monitoring technology.

Dr Weightman-Potter’s work could offer a new way to restore the brain’s awareness of hypoglycaemia, saving up to 30 per cent of people with type 1 diabetes from the fear of a sudden, severe hypo – and enabling them to more effectively manage their blood glucose levels.

Is JDRF funding any other research like this?

In the UK, we’re funding Professors Stephanie Amiel and Pratik Choudhary to find out if a talking therapy programme can ‘re-wire’ the brain and restore hypo awareness in people with type 1.

We also support Professor Rory McCrimmon’s research into whether high-intensity exercise can improve hypo awareness and also improve the body’s response to hypos.