6 new type 1 diabetes research projects awarded by Breakthrough T1D

Breakthrough T1D is awarding up to $4.5 million to 6 innovative research projects, which aim to accelerate breakthroughs across areas of type 1 diabetes (T1D) research including early detection, cures, prevention and complications. From a vaccine to prevent to T1D and more precise ways to track early progression of T1D, to a reliable supply of new insulin-making cells and early treatment for kidney complications, these projects have the potential to be life-changing.

The INSPIRE Program

The grants are being awarded through the INSPIRE (Innovative Concept Submissions Promoting Impactful Research) Program, which is part of Breakthrough T1D’s Type 1 Diabetes Clinical Research Network (T1DCRN). At any point during the year, scientists can submit applications for funding for research in any area of T1D research that aligns with our research strategy. Twice a year, we award funding to projects with the highest potential to deliver new therapies or address unmet needs in quality of life and care delivery for people living with T1D.

The 6 new research projects

1. Associate Professor Mark Chong

Research project: Developing a vaccine for T1D

A/Prof Chong and his team at St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research (SVI) are developing a vaccine designed to reduce or redirect the autoimmune response that drives T1D. The vaccine aims to precisely rewire part of the immune system to prevent it recognising insulin-making beta cells as something to attack and destroy, without interfering with the broader immune system.

Their early studies show that this is possible, and in this project, the researchers will test and optimise the vaccine. The team will also improve their knowledge of how exactly the vaccine is working, which will guide its translation to clinical trials in people in the future.

A vaccine for T1D gives hope of preventing T1D and bringing us closer to our vision of a world without T1D, so that people never have to endure the life-long burden of managing this condition.

2. Associate Professor Daniel Hesselson

Research project: Searching for genetic changes that could protect beta cells

A/Prof Hesselson’s project aims to discover ways to make insulin-making beta cells more resistant to the stress and damage that contribute to their loss in T1D. This is important for helping beta cells survive in islet transplants and future beta cell replacement therapies. Currently, strong immunosuppressant drugs help prevent the immune system from rejecting or damaging transplanted cells, but these drugs come with risks and side effects – so finding ways for the beta cells to protect themselves is a promising approach without compromising the immune system. 

To do this, the team, who are based at the Centenary Institute in Sydney, will use a sophisticated tool that tests many genetic changes to find those that best improve beta cell survival and function. The most promising genetic changes identified through this work could be studied further as strategies to strengthen beta cells for future cell therapies. Protecting beta cells from destruction in this way could shift the balance of benefit and risk and enable these life-changing therapies to be accessible to more people living with T1D. 

3. Dr Jacqui Schiesser 

Research project: Developing a purer, more reliable supply of lab-grown insulin-making cells

Another challenge facing islet transplants is the limited supply of insulin-making cells available for transplant. Scientists can grow stem cells into clusters of cells that mimic the islets found in the pancreas, which contain insulin-making beta cells. However, the final product can contain a mixture of cell types, which can affect the safety and effectiveness of therapies that use these islets. So, it is important to separate and boost the desired cells while reducing any unwanted cells.

Dr Jacqui Schiesser at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute is developing a way to purify the cell mixture to produce cleaner and more reliable batches of stem cell-derived islets. This project tackles a crucial step to make stem cell-derived islet therapies – which are already being tested in clinical trials – safer, more consistent and more clinically feasible. Dr Schiesser is particularly excited about the potential for this technique to be used in future therapies where a person’s own cells could be used to generate replacement beta cells. These therapies would give people the ability to make their own insulin again and stop having to walk the tightrope of insulin therapy and glucose management.

4. Dr Ki Wook Kim 

Research project: Can the immune response to common viruses be used to predict T1D progression and help prevent T1D?

During childhood, almost everyone is exposed to infection with enteroviruses, which are a very common group of viruses that usually cause mild cold or flu-like symptoms. Dr Kim’s previous research found that children at risk of developing T1D show a very different immune response to the same enterovirus infection than children who are less at risk.  

This project at the University of New South Wales will build on this work, which used data from Australian children in the ENDIA study, and confirm if the findings are the same for European populations. Dr Kim’s team also aims to understand how this immune response to enteroviruses may contribute to, or signal, the autoimmune process that leads to T1D. They will also test whether the detectable immune changes in response to enteroviruses can be used to help us predict who is at risk of developing T1D and when this might happen. 

This research will help inform current and future strategies to prevent T1D. Anti-enterovirus vaccines and antiviral approaches have already reached human clinical testing in Europe, so it is a promising area of T1D prevention research. 

5. Associate Professor Stuart Mannering 

Research project: A blood test to measure and predict T1D progression

A/Prof Mannering has recently successfully developed BASTA, a blood test that can measure immune cell responses against the insulin-producing beta cells. This test, which was developed with funding and tailored support from Breakthrough T1D, is designed to be simpler and more practical than other immune-cell tests. A/Prof Mannering and his team at SVI now want to build on this test to develop the new ‘Trio Assay’, which will be able to detect responses from 3 different immune cell types.

Current screening tests for T1D can identify most people who will go on to develop T1D but can’t predict when that will happen. Monitoring multiple immune cell responses using the Trio Assay may help clinicians and scientists more accurately predict the progression of T1D. Having a timescale for T1D progression would allow healthcare professionals to better prepare families for managing T1D and enable more timely treatment with disease-modifying therapies, such as Tzield. The test could also help determine if these therapies are working, and if they aren’t, offer people the opportunity to try an alternative DMT when they become available in future.

6. Dr Karen Alt

Research project: Early detection of kidney damage in T1D

Despite kidney disease being a common complication of T1D, current tests to identify people developing kidney complications lack the sensitivity to detect early kidney damage. Identifying kidney disease early would offer a critical opportunity for earlier and better treatment and monitoring, leading to better health outcomes. The goal of Dr Alt’s project at Monash University in Melbourne is to evaluate a new way of detecting kidney damage early using a medical imaging technique called a PET scan.  

PET scans use an imaging tracer, which is a molecule that the scanner can detect as it passes through the body, to reveal information about how an organ is functioning. Dr Alt is exploring using an imaging tracer called TP in PET scans to reveal early kidney damage. She will test this approach on 2 different lab models for T1D as well as human kidney cells, which will help her plan a clinical trial of this new imaging technique in people.  

As well as enabling earlier detection, the tool could help healthcare professionals monitor the progression of kidney damage and determine whether new therapies being developed to treat and prevent kidney disease are working. Ultimately, the tool has the potential to help relieve people living with T1D of the added burden of living with kidney complications. 

These 6 projects were chosen from 25 initial applications for their high potential to improve the lives of people with T1D.

The range of research topics these projects cover mean there is something to tackle challenges faced by people at every stage of their journey with T1D, from prevention and early development through to cures and treatments for complications. We’re excited by the cutting-edge science involved in these research projects and the opportunity they hold to deliver real-world impact. We will bring you updates as the research progresses, so stay tuned by signing up to our e-news and following @breakthrought1dau on socials.

Read about other research projects we are funding.