Patient 13 is a documentary-in- progress seeking funds to continue filming. It’s also on a quest to find, and it’s possibly standing on the brink of, a cure for type 1 diabetes. 

Patient 13 is following two men: Dr. and medical researcher, Jonathan Lakey, who was part of the islet-transplant work more than a decade ago known as the Edmonton Protocol. Lakey is now part of a team of researchers and scientists developing and testing the ‘Islet Sheet’ (shown here in hand – transparent and the size of a business card) as a possible cure for type 1 diabetes.

Scott King is the man who will be patient 13 – the 13th subject in the clinical trial. King has had type 1 diabetes for 34 years and has been on his own quest for a cure as both a scientist and biotech entrepreneur.

The Edmonton Protocol in Canada, proved islet transplants could free patients of their need for insulin, but insulin-independence was short-lived, largely due to anti-rejection issues. Lakey believes the Islet Sheet will not encounter that problem; it is not expected to be recognized by the body as foreign and so not rejected.  

Filming began in 2010 and the film needs 30K in funding by December 2nd to continue. Producer, Lisa Hepner, who has had type 1 herself for more than 20 years says, this film will be the first in-depth look at diabetes and efforts to find a cure and that it will show the unfolding story about the search for, and possible discovery of, the cure for type 1 diabetes.  

If the funding goal is reached, Hepner hopes to release the $1-million, 90-minute documentary in 2013. 

If you’re interested to contribute to the film’s production – $1, $5, any amount is gladly welcomed as every dollar counts – there’s a KickStarter campaign. (Kickstarter is an online platform to raise money to seed creative projects.) To date, more than $19,000 has been raised for the film in pledges. However, that whole amount goes away if another $30K isn’t raised by December 2nd. 

Also you can read more back story in the Orange County Register.

At most the producers say this could just lead to a Nobel Prize and change the lives of millions of people who have type 1 diabetes. At the very least it’s another step forward toward a cure, and raising awareness and visibility of type 1 diabetes.

Kicking off Diabetes Month, the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI), a leading organization in diabetes research, unveils their new heartfelt campaign about their commitment to never stop searching for a cure.

The campaign, Reason to Believe, is a series of videos that will be rolling out all month featuring parents, patients and researchers expressing their hopes and beliefs that a cure will come. 

The campaign aims to raise funding so DRI can find that cure more quickly. While we know intellectually how difficult it must be to have a child with diabetes, I dare you to watch this video about 3 year old Jace, diagnosed at two, and his parents and not feel immediately how heart-wrenching and difficult it is for every parent who endures the fears for their child when out of sight for just a few minutes, and the hardship parents and children share of daily finger pricks, injections, countless carb and insulin calculations, and the nighttime dread over a disastrous low and uncertain future.

Last year I interviewed DRI’s Scientific Director, Dr. Camillo Ricordi,“Curing Diabetes: How Close Are We?”. His life-long commitment inspires me to believe that yes one day there will be a cure. 

Let’s help make it faster. A donation is what will keep the cure a certainty, not just a hope.

Here’s a big new revelation: the cause of diabetes is not genetic. A new analysis, published by the public interest science organization, The Bioscience Resource Project, finds little evidence that inherited genes cause common diseases like diabetes, heart disease, autism, cancer, depression and dementia. Fuller story here.

The analysis includes more than 700 genetic studies conducted around the world, covering over 80 different diseases and concludes due to similar results that of the approximately 1,000 genes identified that confer susceptibility to disease, only a tiny handful are of even limited importance.

Geneticists also say the possible hiding places for disease genes to be located are in places distinct from where almost all other genetic information has so far been found. That makes these hiding places scientifically highly implausible. “A genetic basis for susceptibility to common diseases was only ever a hypothesis,” says Dr. Jonathan Latham, Executive Director of the Bioscience Resource Project. Of course I’m surprised having always heard genetics, along with lifestyle choices are the principle causes of diabetes.

Yet, it appears data around patterns of health and illness have always indicated that Western diseases are determined overwhelmingly by diet and other non-genetic factors. Similarly, data has shown that many diseases can be reversed or accelerated by diet and other lifestyle choices. So, researchers say, the crucial importance of the new genomic findings is that it shows that genetic research does not contradict these environmental explanations of disease. Rather, it strongly supports them.

The studies co-author, Dr. Allison Wilson, says it means that for most people personalized genomics is never going to be useful for predicting what diseases they will develop. The good news, Wilson also says is, “Our fate does not reside in disease genes. Our health is in our own hands.” 

For those who are thin and active and get type 2 diabetes it leaves me to wonder. For those who are overweight and sedentary it is good news – if you act on it.

Ever since I met Tom Karlya several years ago interviewing him in his living room, I knew he would be part of the cure for diabetes. Father of a daughter with type 1 from the age of two, his passion knows no bounds. 

He is now Vice President of Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) – along with the columnist of “Diabetes Dad” on dLife – and pouring his passion into national fundraising programs for the DRI – perhaps our most bright beacon lighting the way toward a cure. 

This month DRI has launched a campaign called “Be Part of The Cure.” All you need do to be part of the cure is visit the site, upload a photo and a few sentences about yourself and make a donation (as little as $10). 

Your photo will become part of the CURE mosaic -and two corporations are matching up to the first $25,000 of donations. Each day the CURE mosaic swells with photos. To look at them reminds me that work towards a cure is ongoing while I go through another day, and that the cure is within reach. To upload my photo and story was a little slice of healing, feeling I am part of the engine getting us all to a cure.

The final CURE image – with your photo – will be printed on a colossal banner that will hang at the Diabetes Research Institute, and those who make a minimum donation of $50 will receive a mouse pad with the final CURE image. A prize you certainly won’t want to be without since my photo may be right next to yours! 😉

You have ’til the end of the year to upload your photo and make your donation, but really there’s no better time than now, particularly as we think about what we’re grateful for this week.

This past Saturday the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation(DRIF), the premier organization seeking a cure for diabetes, had a one day conference in Manhattan that I attended. The day consisted of presentations and workshops providing an overview of research findings on islet cell transplantation and regeneration, and tools and treatments and psychosocial support for living with type 1 diabetes. 

While some of the morning’s scientific talk admittedly went over my head, and no one’s promising a cure anytime soon, I know those of us with type 1 are in a better place than we’ve ever been before and closer to the brass ring. I particularly enjoyed an  informative lunch moderated by Amy Tenderich, award-winning blogger of DiabetesMine. On the panel of experts were Dr. Jay Skyler, researcher and Dr. Norma Kenyon, research scientist both with DRIF, Wendy Satin Rapaport, clinical psychologist who works with the DRIF and University of Miami, Fran Carpentier, editor of Parade magazine and type 1 diabetic for 39 years and Jeff Hitchcock, father of a daughter with type 1 diabetes and founder of Children with Diabetes, an online community for young people and families.

Beside the camaraderie of the day, including meeting my wonderful lunch buddy, a grandmother from Albany, here are a few tidbits I took away.  

Research

While progress in curing diabetes has not yet visibly translated into any giant leaps, the details behind the scenes have progressed enormously, like how we get islet cells to last longer without immunosuppression drugs. Research, techniques and discoveries are progressing speedily, but the stage from what’s found in the lab to works in a mice to gets tested in humans is not speedy.

Islet cell transplantation is also making progress but major obstacles include: 1) not enough cells available 2) immune rejection. Scientists are now harvesting other cells, like liver cells, and turning them into islet cells. This is showing early success.

Technology

In trials, those using continuous glucose monitors over the age of 25 improved their A1C on average by .53%. Doesn’t sound like much, does it, but it translates into a drop in A1C from, for instance, 7.4% to 6.9%. Those between the ages of 15 and 24 showed relatively no improvement. No surprise, largely because only 33% of participants in the trial actually wore the darn thing most of the time.

An artificial pancreas is very near. The technology is there and much of what’s needed now are safety protections:  putting alarms and breakers in the system, preventing malfunctions and safely letting patients go home with the system making sure they won’t administer too much insulin.

Psychology

The self-care diabetes demands is NOT easy and lapses are not failures. Life gets in the way. Set achievable goals and if you lapse, don’t blame yourself, use it as information and continue forward.

Hope for a bright outcome, not only does it feel good, but it changes your immune system for the better.

“Choose” to live well with diabetes. If you don’t do something well you’ll quit doing it altogether.

Expect, but don’t fear burn-out.

Expect your teen with diabetes to swing like a seesaw between adult and child-like behavior. Don’t accost them with, “What’s your number?” every time they walk in the house. Talk about normal things before diabetes.

To learn more about the conference, click here. And don’t forget, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of my book, The ABCs Of Loving Yourself With Diabetes, is being donated to DRIF at the end of the year. Your purchase will make a difference.