We are recruiting Seattle-area adults to test whether study drug verapamil can temporarily “wake-up” beta-cells in type 1 diabetes patients with longstanding diabetes. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the cells that produce insulin (beta cells in the pancreas). As beta cells are destroyed by immune cells, the body’s ability to produce insulin is decreased and diabetes develops. After diagnosis, the remaining beta cells continue to be attacked by the immune system. The beta cells stop working well and then most eventually die off.

We have recently found that many people who have longstanding type 1 diabetes have beta cells that make pro-insulin, but not insulin. We call these “sleeping beta cells”.  The objective of the Waking Beta Cells Study is to determine whether verapamil can wake up the sleeping beta cells, at least for a short while.

Type of participant we are looking for:

Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at least three years ago
Age 18 through 50 years
Seattle-area resident
Good general health

Clinicaltrials.gov number
NCT03632759

Who to contact:
Nancy Wickstrom
Phone number: 1-800-888-4187
Email:diabetes@BenaroyaResearch.org

Website for more details about the study:
https://www.benaroyaresearch.org/our-research/diabetes-clinical-research/find-study/waking-beta-cells-study

BRIDge is a research study to facilitate the understanding of diabetes and immune-mediated diseases. The study consists of a confidential registry where we store your contact, research, and health information, and a sample repository where we keep blood samples for current and future use in our research. The samples will be used for many different studies.

An important part of this study is the sharing of information between researchers of different immune-mediated diseases. The samples and information obtained in this study are part of Benaroya Research Institute’s Immune-Mediated Diseases Registry and Repository.

We may contact you to see if you will come in for additional study visits or to update your health and contact information. We will always tell you what we need and let you decide if you are able to help us at that time. We may also contact you to let you know that you may be eligible for other studies.

Type of participant we are looking for:
Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes
Relatives of people with type 1 diabetes
Age 50 or younger
Live in Seattle area

Clinicaltrials.gov number
None

Who to contact:
Nancy Wickstrom
Phone number: 1-800-888-4187
Email address: diabetes@BenaroyaResearch.org

Website for more details about the study:
https://www.benaroyaresearch.org/our-research/diabetes-clinical-research/find-study/bridge-study-of-t1d

TrialNet’s Pathway to Prevention study screens relatives of people with type 1 diabetes for their risk of developing the disease and can identify the early stages of T1D years before symptoms appear.  The study also helps researchers learn more about how T1D develops and plan new studies exploring ways to prevent it.

With a simple blood test TrialNet looks for diabetes-related autoantibodies. If autoantibodies are confirmed to be present, participants will be invited to join the monitoring part of the study and they may be eligible to participate in a prevention trial.

Family members can order test kits to be mailed to them, free of charge, to collect a screening sample at home. To learn more or sign up, visit http://www.TrialNet.org TrialNet is an international network dedicated to the study, prevention and early treatment of type 1 diabetes.

Type of participant we are looking for:

• Individuals 2.5 through 45 years old who have an immediate family member with type 1 diabetes (such as a child, parent, or sibling)
• Individuals 2.5 through 20 years old who have an extended family member with type 1 diabetes (such as a cousin, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, grandparent, or half-sibling)

Clinicaltrials.gov number
NCT00097292

Who to contact:
Nancy Wickstrom
Phone number: 1-800-888-4187
Email address: diabetes@BenaroyaResearch.org

Website for more details about the study:
https://www.TrialNet.org

The Rare and Atypical DIAbetes NeTwork (RADIANT) is dedicated to characterizing (discovering and defining) rare and atypical forms of diabetes.

RADIANT is a network of universities, hospitals and clinics across the United States dedicated to better understanding atypical diabetes. Our team of academic institutions and scientists collaborates with physicians and healthcare groups to identify those with atypical diabetes and learn more about their health.

RADIANT is supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

Type of participant we are looking for:
Ages 0-80 with an atypical form of diabetes

Website for more details about the study:
https://www.atypicaldiabetesnetwork.org/