IAA trial: abatacept combined with nasal insulin in recently diagnosed type 1 diabetes

IAA (Insulin And Abatacept) is a randomised controlled trial testing whether the combination of two safe disease-modifying therapies called abatacept and nasal insulin slows down the immune attack on the insulin-producing (beta) cells of people with newly-diagnosed type 1 diabetes. Abatacept is a disease-modifying medication approved for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in both adults and children. Abatacept has previously been shown to preserve beta cell function in people with recently-diagnosed type 1 diabetes. It is given as an injection under the skin, similar to an insulin injection.

Nasal insulin has also been previously tested by researchers in Melbourne. It is administered as a nasal spray, and is known to dampen the immune attack observed in type 1 diabetes. Combining both therapies could be more effective than either treatment alone and, if effective, could delay the need for insulin injections.

Approximately 60 participants will receive abatacept in combination with either nasal insulin or placebo over a 48-week period. Participants will be required to attend their local trial centre 16 times over two years. Five of these are extended visits lasting 3-4 hours, however the majority of visits will take less than one hour.

Caregivers of children with asthma or type 1 diabetes

Parents play a major role in managing children’s chronic conditions. Management regimes can be complicated, demanding, and time-consuming, impacting caregivers’ psychological or physical health & wellbeing, with some caregivers appearing to suffer more than others.

Participation in this trial involves a series of 3 online interviews. The interview will be spaced 12 months apart, with questions designed to explore your experiences while managing your child’s condition.

You will receive $60 worth of vouchers for your time ($20/per 1hr interview).

For more information, email alicia.tennie@griffithuni.edu.au.

Social value of health gains

If you were allocating money for health treatment and care, would it be different for children or young people compared to adults? We are looking to interview young people aged 15 years old. We are interested in your views on how decisions about funding medicines and health services should be made. This will assist policy makers allocate health care funding in a way that has the greatest public support.

We would like to invite you to participate in an audio recorded semi-structured interview, by private video-conference session (Zoom meeting) that will take up to an hour of your time. You will be reimbursed with one Australian $35 gift card in recognition of your time for participating in the Zoom meeting.

For more information, email elisabeth.huynh@anu.edu.au.

Making friends with yourself: Self-compassion for young people with type 1 diabetes

Our researchers are recruiting young Australians between the ages of 14 and 17, who are diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and who are using continuous glucose monitoring. The course consists of 8 x 1.5-hour group sessions.  The first session is scheduled for Wednesday 30th March 2022. Sessions will be delivered via Zoom and take place from 4-5:30pm AWST. 

For more information contact Karina Prentice

Managing type 1 diabetes during exercise in high-level athletes

Regular exercise is a cornerstone for managing type 1 diabetes (T1D), but many people with T1D face obstacles that stop them meeting physical activity guidelines.

However, athletes with T1D are highly proficient at managing their condition within the context of their sport. For this reason, their strategies may offer valuable lessons for managing blood glucose levels during exercise.

The aim of this study is to describe the strategies used by competitive athletes with T1D to successfully manage their condition during sport and exercise.

The study involves a 45 minute survey that will explore your strategies for managing blood glucose levels during exercise. Specifically, you will be asked questions about training and competition, your diabetes management, and strategies you believe are important to your success as a high-level athlete with T1D. This can be done either in person, over the phone, or using video conferencing software (e.g., WebEx, Microsoft Teams), alternatively you may submit written responses to an online survey.

For more information, please contact Shania Smee shania.smee@student.curtin.edu.au

Physical activity levels in secondary school students with T1D

Regular exercise is important for health and has additional health benefits for children with type 1 diabetes, including improvements in mental health and reduced cardiovascular disease risk factors. 

Despite the benefits of exercise, research shows that high school aged adolescents with type 1 diabetes may experience additional barriers to exercise, including fear of hypoglycaemia or loss of control of diabetes. Some research also shows that youth with type 1 diabetes do less exercise than their peers without diabetes.

This is an important study that will identify barriers to exercise in high school aged youth with type 1 diabetes, and compare the amount of exercise adolescents with type 1 diabetes do to their peers without diabetes.

The study will help to inform interventions to support youth with type 1 diabetes to be more physically active and improve their health.

For more information, please contact Dr Carmel Smart Carmel.Smart@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au

This study has Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) approval from Hunter New England Research Ethics Committee.

INTIMET: Insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes managed with Metformin

Harmful patterns of insulin resistance in the muscle and liver may be an explanation for increased cardiovascular disease in T1D.

The INTIMET study is a detailed investigation of insulin resistance in T1D and will test if metformin can improve insulin action in muscle and the liver. Participants will be asked to take metformin (or placebo tablets) and are required to attend 4 appointments over 6 months at the Garvan Institute in Sydney.

This study is also recruiting people aged 20-50 without type 1 diabetes, who will attend 2 study visits but not receive medication.

ANZCTR listing: ANZCTR12619001440112

Cord reinfusion in diabetes (CORD) pilot study

Cell Care is partnering with The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, New South Wales, in a world–first study investigating the potential of cord blood to prevent or delay the onset of type 1 diabetes in children at high risk of developing the disease.

The CORD study has been approved by the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network Human Research Ethics Committee.

ANZCTR listing: ACTRN12613000186752

Fenofibrate and microvascular events in type 1 diabetic retinopathy (FAME-1-EYE) study

This clinical trial is investigating whether fenofibrate, a drug used to lower cholesterol, can slow or reverse eye damage in adults with type 1 diabetes. Fenofibrate has been shown to slow eye damage in type 2 diabetes, and researchers are now investigating whether the same effect will be seen in T1D.

This study has been approved by the Northern Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee.

ANZCTR listing: ACTRN12611000249954

Type1Screen: Screening for type 1 diabetes

Family members of people with T1D are at increased risk of developing the disease themselves.

Type1Screen is a free screening service available to any family member of a person with T1D, that can find out a person’s risk of developing T1D. Those at increased risk will be offered the opportunity to enrol in trials of new therapies that can potentially prevent T1D.

For more information go to the Type1Screen website: www.type1screen.org. To contact the team email type1screen@mh.org.au or follow them on socials @Type1Screen:

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