Two studies investigating the role of genetics in the development of type 1diabetes are currently recruiting participants. Principal investigator Daniel E. Hale, M.D., professor of pediatrics and chief of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes at the UT Health Science Center, is looking for people who meet specific criteria and will come in once to have their blood drawn.
One study will determine if family members of people with type 1 diabetes show early signs of injury to insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. By the time a person is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, the body is no longer able to make insulin. Participants are able to take part in this study because of the UT Health Science Center’s affiliate status in TrialNet, a clinical trials network supported by the National Institutes of Health and every major diabetes organization in the country.
The second study aims to understand how type 1 diabetes develops in blacks and Hispanics. Both studies have been approved by the Health Science Center’s Institutional Review Board and are funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the American Diabetes Association. For more information, contact Rosa Irene Garza, (210) 268-8624.
STUDY CRITERIA
| Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet: Natural History Study |
| Eligibility criteria | Family members of people who have type 1 diabetes: First-degree relatives younger than 45 (parents and siblings); Second-degree relatives younger than 20 (grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins) |
| What’s involved | Single, non-fasting blood draw to determine if participants have markers of diabetes related autoimmunity |
| Incentives | None |
| Web site | www.diabetestrialnet.org |
| Type 1 Diabetes Genetics Consortium (T1DGC) |
| Eligibility criteria | Hispanics or blacks with type 1 diabetes of any age OR Hispanics and blacks of any age with no history of diabetes (either type 1 or type 2) in their immediate family |
| What’s involved | Single, non-fasting blood draw |
| Incentives | $25 |
