1. NORTHUMBRIA
UNIVERSITY
RESEARCH
UPDATE
Linda Wood, Regional Manager
Julie Nattrass, Regional Fundraising Manager

2. Today’s talk
 Research at Diabetes UK
 Past research successes
 Research in progress
 How you can get involved

4. Research Strategy Context
 Diabetes UK-funded research in a wider context
 Limited in scope but not without ambition
 Priority is to meet unmet needs of people living with
diabetes and at high risk of diabetes
 Must underpin the three key priorities set by our
Board of Trustees
 Research considers the diversity of people living with
diabetes

5. Funding research
 In 2012 Diabetes UK will spend around £6
million on research. The research portfolio is
currently valued at just over £20 million
 We do not receive any statutory government
funding for research
 All funds for research comes from donations to
Diabetes UK (including Adopt-A-Project,
Regular Giving and Legacies)

6. A brief history of
research success

7. 1934: Diabetic Association founded its
1935: Diabetes UK awards
(but our name was changed to the to
first research grant, of £50,
British Diabetic AssociationUniversity of
Dr Hans Kosterlitz, in 1967
and to Diabetes UK in 2000)
Aberdeen.
1934 1935

8. 1978: Measurement 1978: Tests
of blood glucose
1977: Diabetes UK purchased demonstrate safety
the UK'sat home shown and feasibility of
levels first artificial pancreas
to enable key researchinsulin pumps for the
to improve glucose to
control
continue. first time
1977 1978

9. 1986: Retinal camera 1986: First specialised
revealed as reliable Diabetic Foot Centre
method of screening established with
for retinopathy Diabetes UK funds
1986

10. 2010: Retinopathy no
longer the leading
cause of blindness in
Newcastle thanks to
screening
2010

11. Where
next?
You can help
us find out!

12. RESEARCH IN
PROGRESS…

13. Artificial pancreas
 Dr Roman Horvorka of the University of Cambridge)has
been funded to make the first generation of ‘closed loop’
system – artificial pancreas


14. Vaccine trials for Type 1 diabetes
 Type 1 diabetes results when the immune
system attacks healthy insulin producing
cells in islets of pancreas
 Professor Mark Peakman and Dr Tim
Tree at King’s College London are
investigating precise mechanisms and
targets involved in this attack
 Discovered components of the immune
system that forms a natural defence
against attack on islets

15. Vaccine trials for Type 1 diabetes
 Defences seem to be overwhelmed
in people with Type 1 diabetes, but
fully intact in people without Type 1
 Professor Peakman has now
developed a therapy than can
bolster these natural defences
 Now beginning clinical trials
…very early days

16. Stem cells + islet transplants

17. Stem cells + islet transplants

18. Stem cells + islet transplants
 Experiments in the lab and in mice with
diabetes will allow the researchers to test
the effectiveness of kidney stem cells at
improving islet transplants
 Project could help improve the design of
islet transplantation methods and improve
the treatment of people with Type 1

19. Intensive dieting
 Professor Roy Taylor of
Newcastle University looking
at reproducing the effects of
surgery by intensive dieting
 11 people who had diabetes
for less than 4 years, with BMI
of around 33.
 Diet of 600 calories per day for
8 weeks

20. Intensive dieting – results so far...
 After just one week, fasting blood glucose levels
had returned to normal
 However, when participants returned to normal
eating – all put on weight
 3 months after the end of the trial, ten people were
re-tested and 7 were still free from diabetes
 Reversal of Type 2 diabetes appears to be a result
of decreasing excess fat around liver and pancreas

21. Nitrate and exercise for Type 2

22. Nitrate and exercise for Type 2
 40 people with Type 2 diabetes
 Will drink beetroot juice either
with or without nitrates
 Short walking and cycling tests
to measure oxygen consumption
 Could identify readily-available
treatment to make exercise
easier for people with Type 2

23. The search for a cure
 Important to realise that a cure for diabetes
might not come directly from diabetes research
 Developments and discoveries take place in
other areas of science and medicine
 It is the application of these developments to
diabetes that might yield dividends
 It is impossible to predict how or when a cure
may be found

24. Important to bear in mind...
“Our discovery of DNA fingerprinting was of
course totally accidental … but at least we
had the sense to realise what we had
stumbled upon."
Sir Alec Jeffreys (1950 - )
Geneticist
Inventor of DNA fingerprinting
which has revolutionised
forensic science & the
criminal justice system

26. Why we fundraise
• Diabetes UK receives no government
funding
• We rely entirely on subscriptions
and donations to fund the work we
do
• In 2011 Diabetes UK raised £29.53
million

27. Support fundraising events
• Participate in events
We have a number of walks, runs, cycle rides, bungee
jumps and much, much more planned for 2013
• Volunteer at events
We welcome any help, be it holding a collecting can
for a couple of hours to marshalling or helping at a
registration desk
• Help promote our events
Help us spread the word by putting up posters in
your locality, let local companies, clubs and groups
know about our events

28. Get involved
Hold your own fundraising event
• Organise a local walk or pub crawl
• Carry out a street collection
• Hold a party on World Diabetes Day
There are lots of fun and creative things
you can do to raise money for Diabetes
UK, and we will support you every step of
the way.

29. Current Opportunities
• Volunteer at our Street Collection in
Newcastle – Thursday 29 November
• Volunteer as an Events Volunteer –
helping at Healthy Lifestyle Roadshow
events across the North East or at
fundraising walks and runs

30. Thank you!
If you have any questions please
contact us at:
northyorks@diabetes.org.uk
Or call 01325 488606