New Research Center Launches with Enterprising Goal: Curing Type 1 Diabetes
Leiden, Netherlands - A new research center, Cure One, officially opened its doors on World Diabetes Day, November 14th, marking a important step forward in the pursuit of a cure for type 1 diabetes.The center is a collaborative effort between the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) and the DON Foundation (Diabetes Research Netherlands), bolstered by a strategic partnership with the Diabetes Fund.
More than 100,000 people in the Netherlands live with type 1 diabetes,a chronic autoimmune condition requiring lifelong insulin therapy. While pancreas or islet transplants can offer functional cures for a limited number of patients with complex cases – currently around a few dozen per year – Cure One aims to dramatically expand access to effective treatments and ultimately, a widely available cure. The center will leverage years of research into the immune system and cell transplantation techniques to accelerate progress.
“We see every day how drastic type 1 diabetes is for patients,” said LUMC professor and endocrinologist Eelco de koning, who will lead Cure One. “we now only do transplants with a pancreas or islets from organ donors for people with very complex diabetes, which can lead to functional healing. But this is not enough. Thanks to years of research,we better understand the immune system and methods of cell transplantation. Now is the time to take action. With Cure One we are in allows us to work more quickly towards functional healing for larger groups of people with T1D.”
The launch of Cure One represents a concentrated effort to translate promising research into tangible solutions for individuals living with type 1 diabetes,offering renewed hope for a future free from the daily burdens of the disease.
