Diabetes Clinical Trials

The DCS conducts research with the goal of translating findings from the lab to patients with diabetes as quickly as possible. After a promising treatment is developed and its safety and effectiveness in the pre-clinical setting proven, clinical investigators obtain regulatory approval to conduct diabetes studies, or clinical trials, in patients.

DCS clinical trials offer participants the opportunity to play an active role in the diabetes research process and to access potential new therapies before they are widely available. These studies provide important information to advance medical research and are crucial to developing a cure for diabetes. Participants receive unparalleled care and related study procedures and medications throughout the trial at no cost.

The DCS has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to conduct several diabetes clinical trials. New studies in the final planning stages aim to halt the body’s attack on its own insulin-producing cells that caused the onset of type 1 diabetes and preserve islet cell function. These important trials will be conducted in multiple centers at the same time in order to speed the collection of data and the development of meaningful therapeutic strategies for patients.

Participating in a clinical trial for diabetes or any other disease is an important personal decision. To learn more about what’s involved, the National Institutes of Health provides information about  participating in clinical trials  on its web site. In addition, it is often helpful to talk to a physician, family members, or friends about deciding to join a trial.

Islet Transplantation Studies

Progress in islet transplantation  has allowed many patients with type 1 diabetes to live without the need for insulin therapy, but this cell therapy remains an experimental procedure available only through clinical trials. Islet transplantation studies at the DCS continue to focus on improving the safety, long-term function, and success of islet replacement therapies and each one moves the needle of knowledge and patient application forward.

The DCS is currently midway through a Phase I/II clinical trial that will test the omentum, the interior lining covering abdominal organs, as an alternative transplant site to the liver, the traditional site. This pilot trial is a critical first step toward developing the DCS BioHub, a bioengineered mini organ that mimics the native pancreas.