WHAT'S NEW

Brenda Novak for the Cure is proud to share a summary of the pioneering accomplishments of the donor of our research contributions:

What We've Accomplished So Far

Pioneering New Therapies Brings us Closer to a Diabetes Cure

The DRI has been at the forefront of diabetes cure-focused research for nearly 40 years. Our principle focus is on the biological replacement of insulin function to restore blood sugar control.

We were one of the first centers to pursue transplantation of the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, and our scientific director, Dr. Camillo Ricordi, invented the system that makes this procedure possible. That pioneering work in islet transplantation has resulted in normalized blood sugar levels in study patients, with nearly 90 percent of trial participants able to discontinue insulin injections during the first year.

Despite needing to resume small doses of insulin over time, these patients maintain some insulin production, allowing them to more easily manage their blood sugar levels, halt the progression of crippling diabetes-related complications and experience an improved quality of life. Most importantly, their risk of severe hypoglycemia (very low blood sugar) is greatly minimized, and the ability to sense low blood sugar is restored.

Though these diabetes research accomplishments have been substantial, islet transplantation remains an experimental procedure and continues to play a central and important role as a platform technology.

Today, we're taking science to a higher level by bridging cellular therapies with emerging technologies. In fact, scientists are developing a new roadmap in cure focused diabetes research to overcome the few research challenges that remain.

CURE FOCUSED RESEARCH THROUGH DRI: DRI has established a transformational model of diabetes research, where patients are put front and center of the strategy and the process, and new findings are moved from the lab to clinical application in the fastest, safest and most efficient way possible.