Approximately 425 million people around the world have diabetes. Data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggest that just over 1 out of every 10 Americans suffers from it, and the number of cases have grown exponentially in the last 20 years. Considering how prevalent the disease is, there is a lot that research can’t explain—yet.
Type 1 diabetes, which occurs when the body’s insulin-producing beta cells are attacked by the immune system, is known to be partially impacted by genetics and environment. Beyond that, scientists are unsure of the underlying factors for why the beta cells are attacked.
One reason might be a protein of scientific interest—proteins called Hybrid Insulin Proteins (HIP) are found on the outside beta cells of people with Type 1 diabetes. They are recognized by the immune system recognizes as foreign and thus attacked.
Could these hybrid insulin proteins be factual indicators for whether or not a person will get diabetes? Could they lead to a better treatment for the disease? And a way to cure it for future generations?
Sanford’s T-Rex Study has been conducting clinical trials on similar questions for the past few years. Dr. Kurt Griffin’s research focuses on rebalancing the body’s immune system by increasing the number of T cells, which are responsible for the body’s immune response to foreign objects including beta cells with HIPs. Dr. Griffin wants to know if more T cells can prevent the immune system from mistakenly destroying its beta cells. If so, insulin production should continue at a normal pace and the severity of diabetes may diminish.
This research is the first step of many in finding the answers to diabetes. And while there is still no explanation for why some people are more predisposed to get diabetes than others, research is at least trending towards answers. At some point in the near future, people will be able to do more than merely manage their symptoms: they’ll be able to live free from diabetes. And they just might have Sanford and Dr. Kurt Griffin to thank for that!