Breakthrough T1D Announces the Publication of Two Peer-Reviewed Articles that Expand Insight into the Burdens of Living with Type 1 Diabetes

Growing Population of Americans Living with Type 1 Diabetes Highlights Need to Accelerate Life-Saving Cell Therapy Cures for the Disease

NEW YORK, May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Breakthrough T1D, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization, today announced the publication of two peer-reviewed journal articles that expand insight into the burdens of living with T1D in 2025. The papers shine a much-needed light on the burdens facing people who live with this lifelong, demanding disease that causes the pancreas to make very little insulin or none at all, and the immediate need to accelerate life-saving cures for T1D through cell therapy.

Authored by a team of Breakthrough T1D executives, including CEO Aaron J. Kowalski, PhD,  "The Urgent Need for Breakthrough Therapies and a World Without Type 1 Diabetes", published in Diabetes Therapy, challenges the misperception that insulin therapy and today's diabetes technologies are meeting the needs of people with T1D. The paper stresses that although progress has been made in managing T1D, the disease still results in premature death, significant complications and a substantial daily burden for those affected by it. It argues that accelerating cell therapies which restore the body's ability to produce its own insulin are key to T1D cures.

"Accessible islet cell therapies, enabling people with type 1 diabetes to produce their own insulin again, are the next step toward T1D cures," said Aaron J. Kowalski, PhD, CEO of Breakthrough T1D. "As a scientist who lives with type 1 diabetes, I know from first-hand experience that, while we've made incredible progress with better treatments, T1D is still hard to manage and risky. We are within reach of cell therapies that will allow us to take off our devices and return to the lives that we led before this disease. If we use the daily experiences of people living with type 1 diabetes to guide our research development and policy decisions, we will have clear pathways for new therapies that meet these needs."

The Breakthrough T1D authors emphasize the need for the entire T1D community, including researchers, regulators, policymakers, and people living with T1D to work together to hasten the development of novel T1D therapies.

The second paper, "We Are on the Verge of Breakthrough Cures for Type 1 Diabetes, but Who Are the 2 Million Americans Who Have It?", published in the Journal of Health Economics and Outcomes Research, shares valuable demographic information on the broad spectrum of Americans living with T1D and predicts the changes this population will undergo in the next decade. Once viewed as a condition that could only be diagnosed in childhood, it is now known that T1D can develop at any age. The average age of a person with T1D in the U.S. will increase from 47 to 49 years over the next 10 years. Though most Americans living with T1D today are non-Hispanic whites, the paper reveals over the next decade Hispanic and African American populations with the disease are expected to see the most growth.

"This data, which is the first detailed description of the U.S. T1D community, gives us an opportunity to assess the impact of current and future policies," said Breakthrough T1D Chief Global Advocacy Officer Lynn Starr.  "With better data specific to those living with type 1 diabetes, we can ensure Breakthrough T1D advocates for solutions that advance our goal of ensuring everyone with T1D has the care, drugs, and devices that work best for them." 

About Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF)

As the leading global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization, Breakthrough T1D helps make everyday life with type 1 diabetes better while driving toward cures. We do this by investing in the most promising research, advocating for progress by working with government to address issues that impact the T1D community, and helping educate and empower individuals facing this condition.

About type 1 diabetes (T1D)

T1D is an autoimmune condition that causes the pancreas to make very little insulin or none at all. This leads to dependence on insulin therapy and the risk of short and long-term complications, which can include highs and lows in blood sugar; damage to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and heart; and even death. Globally, it impacts nearly 9 million people. Many believe T1D is only diagnosed in childhood and adolescence, but diagnosis in adulthood is common and accounts for nearly 50% of all T1D diagnoses. The onset of T1D has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. There is currently no cure for T1D.

Contact:
Chelsea-Lyn Rudder
646-946-0513
media@BreakthroughT1D.org

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SOURCE Breakthrough T1D, Formerly JDRF