Medical College of Wisconsin researcher to study early indicators of Type 1 diabetes
Contact: Maureen Mack (mmack@mcw.edu), Cellular: 414-750-5266, Office: 414-955-4700
The Medical College of Wisconsin and the Max McGee National Research Center for Juvenile Diabetes at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin received a three-year, $300,000 grant from the American Diabetes Association to study a biomarker identified as a potential early warning sign of the development of Type 1 diabetes.
Martin J. Hessner, Ph.D., professor of pediatrics, researcher at Children’s Hospital Research Institute, and director of the Max McGee National Research Center for Juvenile Diabetes, is the primary investigator of the study.
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. There is no “cure.” Three million Americans are living with T1D; the causes are believed to be a mix of genetic and environmental factors. People living with T1D must constantly monitor blood glucose, and are prone to complications including kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, heart attack, and stroke.
Dr. Hessner’s team recently developed a highly sensitive assay that detects subtle changes in the blood that appear to be early inflammatory markers of T1D—detected in patients up to five years before onset of T1D symptoms.
In this study, Dr. Hessner will coordinate a collaborative, multicenter study to define the assay’s sensitivity to detect early T1D, and to distinguish T1D from other inflammatory disorders. The research team will also define the immunological nature of the changes detected by the assay.
“We are grateful for the support of the American Diabetes Association. Early identification of this disease could lead to prevention efforts, and takes us one step closer to our goal of eliminating type 1 diabetes altogether,” said Dr. Hessner.
About the Medical College of Wisconsin
The Medical College of Wisconsin is the state’s only private medical school and health sciences graduate school. Founded in 1893, it is dedicated to leadership and excellence in education, patient care, research and service. More than 1,200 students are enrolled in the Medical College’s medical school and graduate school programs. A major national research center, it is the largest research institution in the Milwaukee metro area and second largest in Wisconsin. In FY 2010 – 11, faculty received more than $175 million in external support for research, teaching, training and related purposes, of which more than $161 million is for research. This total includes highly competitive research and training awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Annually, College faculty direct or collaborate on more than 2,200 research studies, including clinical trials. Additionally, more than 1,350 physicians provide care in virtually every specialty of medicine for more than 400,000 patients annually.
About Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin is the region’s only independent health care system dedicated solely to the health and well-being of children. The hospital, with locations in Milwaukee and Neenah, Wis. is recognized as one of the leading pediatric health care centers in the United States. Children’s Hospital provides primary care, specialty care, urgent care, emergency care, community health services, foster and adoption services, child and family counseling, child advocacy services and family resource centers. In 2010, Children’s Hospital invested more than $105 million in the community to improve the health status of children through medical care, advocacy, education and pediatric medical research. Children’s Hospital achieves its mission in part through donations from individuals, corporations and foundations and is proud to be a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. For more information, visit the website at chw.org.
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