This study showed that the molecule, known as CD52, is released by a specific sub-set of T-cells in the immune system. CD52 attaches itself to a ‘receptor’ and starts a chain of molecule-based events. This led to a calming effect on immune cells that were attacking ‘self’ proteins.

The study also showed that levels of CD52 are lower in people with type 1 diabetes. Furthermore, the study showed that the onset of type 1 diabetes in diabetic mice was associated with a reduced level of CD52.

Moving forward, the ability of CD52 to calm the immune system during type 1 diabetes has the potential as both a preventative therapy and a treatment in controlling the immune system and immune attack. Further studies to validate the safety and effectiveness of CD25 are needed.

Source: Nature Immunology (2013); doi:10.1038/ni.2610

We are pleased to be able to profile the winners now and commend their achievements.

Excellence and Innovation Award: Annette Kidd

Annette received the award for ‘Excellence and Innovation’ for her role as Project Officer at Caboolture Community Health, where she worked on the concept of an electronic self-management care plan for Paediatrics and Adolescents, and developed the content and format of the full version now known as ‘My Plan’.

Annette has worked in various nursing fields since 1984 and trained as a Diabetes Nurse Educator in 1999. After briefly working overseas, Annette commenced with the Metro North Diabetes Service, Caboolture in 2010 as Clinical Nurse Consultant and is an Accredited Diabetes Educator.

Annette has continued as the Project Officer for the next phases of the ‘My Plan’ development which is currently a pivotal component of the Metro North Diabetes Service.

Impact and Relationships Award: Marion Starosta

Marion was selected the winner of the ‘Impact and Relationships’ as she is “one of the unsung heroes of diabetes care and management in Tasmania. Her career in diabetes has spanned almost two decades and she has acted as a mentor, teacher and patient advocate for all of that time. In particular, her work with young adults in transition from paediatric to adult services has been invaluable.”

Marion has attended eight junior camps, is a  DAFNE Educator, and a support person to colleagues acting as ‘back-up’ in all areas including pump therapy, endocrine procedures, Continuous Glucose Monitoring, pregnancy & Diabetes, as well as inpatient and outpatient management.

“Marion endeavours to encourage and congratulate every person who comes through our door with some aspect of their self-care. Her capacity to ameliorate judgment is one of her strengths. Combined with her ability to engage realistically with patient’s everyday context of living with diabetes, she is often able to find ways of encouraging patients in their engagement in self-care.”

People’s Choice Award: Charmaine de Bliek

Charmaine de Bliek was chosen as the winner of the ‘People’s Choice Award’; as in the words of a parent with a child type 1 diabetes, Charmaine has been able to give “200% effort, above and beyond duty”.

For the past 35 years Charmaine has worked overseas and locally in various health units, including obstetrics and spinal injuries, before commencing as a Diabetes Nurse Specialist in 1994 at the Royal North Shore Hospital.

Having moved to Melbourne in 2011, she currently works at the Ringwood Specialist Centre where her work is highly regarded. Qualities noted such as her passion, selfless actions, knowledge of diabetes, latest technology and her leading treatments go way beyond the ‘standard care’ to best support and treat patients and families.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Cheryl Steele

Cheryl Steele is recognised for her outstanding leadership in diabetes education and research for over 25 years, in receiving the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Cheryl Steele has passionately and tirelessly contributed to diabetes education in Melbourne, as a clinician, teacher, mentor and colleague. Her keen intellect, warm personality, commitment to better diabetes care across all ages is inspirational”.

Starting her career as a Diabetes Research Nurse with Len Harrison and Peter Coleman at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in 1991, as well as working in Diabetes Education at Royal Melbourne Hospital till 1993, Cheryl is currently Manager of Diabetes Education Service for Western Health in Victoria.

“Cheryl’s ability to work in a multidisciplinary healthcare team is exemplary and is illustrated by her numerous publications…Cheryl is courageous in the way she will take on implementation of new technologies and new clinical challenges, and this is exemplified specifically by her work in insulin pump support and ongoing development of diabetes services”

Cheryl has been active as a Board member for Diabetes Australia- Victoria, and has been involved in ADEA and NADC.

Thanks to the support of Abbott Diabetes Care, these four winning Diabetes Educators have received a trophy and $3000 each to spend on resources and facilities in their clinic that improve patient care.

Congratulations Annette, Marion, Charmaine and Cheryl on your achievement!

Last year’s Walk to Cure Diabetes was a great success with a record number of Walks in 32 locations, together raising over $1.6 million for JDRF and type 1 diabetes research.

This year, we’d love to see even more Walks so that everyone can be part of this special event.

Most regional Walk to Cure Diabetes events were organised by local supporters who are passionate about finding a cure for type 1 diabetes.

Kylie and her husband Jon organised the Hobart Walk to Cure Diabetes for the first time in 2012 with help from her Type 1 Parents Support Group (TOPS).

Kylie says “It’s really rewarding to organise an entertaining day that everyone looks forward to. It’s a day where people who share the hope for a cure can come together, have fun and meet others living with type 1 diabetes.”

“The event was such a great day with loads of kid’s activities including a jumping castle, face painting, sumo suits and a kid’s corner with bubbles and colouring in. We also had other fund raising opportunities including a BBQ lunch and raffle where the prize was donated.”

“We raised over $20,600 with only 50 people fundraising in the months leading up to the Walk, and had around 150 people attend on walk day. With an even bigger committee this year, we are looking forward to a bigger and better result.”

“I urge those who can to host a Walk for your community, it is such a fabulous experience to be able to support other families and contribute to JDRF who hold our hope for a cure. I can’t wait to do it all again in 2013!”

If you would like to organise, or be part of a committee who organises a local Walk to Cure Diabetes in your community this year, please visit the JDRF website for some helpful hints and provide your contact details or call 1300 363 126 to talk to a JDRF staff member. Remember your local JDRF office will provide you with support every step of the way!

Rufus the bear with type 1 diabetes (T1D) was created in 1996 by American Carol Cramer to help support her three-year-old son who had been newly diagnosed with T1D. She also wrote a story book about a boy with type 1 diabetes, with the moral that every child will be happy and healthy with the right support and education.

Rufus has patches on his arms, legs, tummy and bottom so that children can give pretend insulin injections and blood sugar tests to him. This is a great way for children to relate to Rufus as they can sometimes feel no one else understands how they feel.

Over the past ten years, Rufus the Bear has made many children feel loved and special, with more than 8000 children receiving their KIDSAC pack since the program launched in 2003.

To celebrate the importance of KIDSAC and Rufus the bear, we share some of our favourite Rufus stories below:

I’m not sure who cuddled Rufus more in the very early days, me or my son!! – Amy

My daughter has Ruby and she is a very special girl for the family! She helped my daughter through some difficult times. Ruby still holds a place in my daughter’s heart and she is 15 now – Jill

Our Rufus bear has travelled to five different countries with us, comforted my son in hospital several times and has slept by his side every night since his diagnosis in May last year. He is a much loved member of our family – Dominique

My daughter has Ruby and at age 9 Ruby still sleeps where ever she sleeps and goes on every holiday. Ruby is a welcome comforter for hospital visits – Deanne

My daughter is 21 this year and still has her Rufus. She got him when she was 8. – Lisa

We have Rufus, who has been fantastic for my son who was diagnosed at 2. He is now 10 and Rufus still goes everywhere with him. – Tania

What’s your Rufus story?

Islet transplantation involves isolating islet cells from donor pancreases and transplanting it into patients. The procedure can be life-saving, especially for those people with type 1 diabetes who have ‘hypo unawareness’. JDRF has previously shared Marg’s story about her experience in the Australian Islet Transplantation Program here.

Through experiments in mice, the researchers coated donor islets with the new biomaterial, known as hydrogel. The hydrogel forms a protective layer around the islets. The coated islets were injected into a region just outside the small intestine, instead of the portal vein through the liver.

The results showed that this new material, combined with the new injection site was successful in allowing the transplanted islets to survive and be well connected to the blood flow. This study shows that the hydrogel has a good potential to be further investigated as a feasible biomaterial for the islet transplantation process.

Further studies are currently being funded by JDRF to understand whether the hydrogel will be able to protect the transplanted islets from the existing autoimmune reaction of type 1 diabetes, and the immune reaction to the introduced foreign islets.

Source: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.03.012

Barnaby Howarth is a former AFL footballer with type 1 diabetes who survived a stroke following a gang attack in 2005. Despite this, he remains positive and knows that getting knocked down is no excuse to stop trying. He shares his story with us.

When I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 14, I didn’t know what it meant. I was a keen Aussie Rules footballer but I didn’t know if diabetes meant I’d have to wrap myself in cotton wool. I didn’t like the sound of taking it easy, so I just closed my eyes and jumped back into my pre-diabetes life and saw how far I could take it.

A few months after finishing high school, I got a call from the Sydney Swans asking me to play a season of AFL with them. I was so happy I was beside myself – I still had a Swans poster on my bedroom wall, but now I was one of them.

One of the most memorable parts of the season was when the Swans captain, Paul Kelly and Tony “Plugger” Lockett saw me have my insulin injection. I was sitting in front of my locker, thinking nobody was watching, so I pulled out my insulin pen and had an injection, but when I stood up Kelly and Plugger were standing in front of me and had seen the whole thing. Plugger just shook his head and said “Bugger that,” but Paul Kelly, who was voted the AFL’s most courageous player three years in a row looked me dead in the eye and said “Mate, you’re a braver bloke than me.”

In 2005 after I finished my year of AFL, I was knocked out in a late night gang attack and kicked in the head while I was lying on the ground unconscious. An artery in my brainstem was torn and I had a stroke that left me in a coma for four days. My parents were told they might have to turn off my life support, and my family and friends were told to come and say goodbye.

When I woke up I decided that rain falls on the just and unjust alike, but there comes a time when you just have to get over it and go and play in the puddles. Like I did after I was diagnosed with diabetes, so I closed my eyes and jumped back into my pre-stroke life.

In January 2012, I joined my sister and friend in climbing to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, which proved to me that adversity shouldn’t stop you from doing anything. It might make things harder, but it shouldn’t stop you.

Take five minutes out of your day to fill out this quick survey about your thoughts of how accurately the media (broadcast, print, and social) represents type 1 diabetes.

Your feedback can help the type 1 diabetes community influence the way in which type 1 diabetes is reported, and help media outlets ‘get it right’.

Complete the survey today:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/T1D_inthe_Media

Survey closes on the 14^th of June 2013.

Dr. Eliana Mariño of Monash University recently received a Postdoctoral Fellowship Award from JDRF. She has previously received funding from JDRF through our Travel Grants programs, and shares her thoughts on what this funding has meant for her research, and for the type 1 diabetes community.

I decided to work in the type 1 diabetes area, as my goal is to make a big mark and ultimately benefit the type 1 community.

As a young investigator, I have achieved important goals with the support of JDRF, such as three first author publications and three reviews in the last five years.  I have won several JDRF Travel Grants, which has allowed me to share my work with other type 1 diabetes researchers at major international as well as national immunology and diabetes meetings.

This year I was awarded a JDRF Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, which will contribute towards my research objective and will help to enrich my skills. It will also help to integrate more students into the project which will be of great benefit to the diabetes research community.

Support from JDRF has helped me to establish a solid foundation for a respected reputation in the field of type 1 diabetes.

My research looks at the fields of immunology, inflammation and autoimmunity. I am currently studying the role of diet and microbiota (gut bacteria) on the development of type 1 diabetes, which is a topic of growing interest for researchers who work in the type 1 diabetes space.

The incidence of type 1 diabetes has been increasing particularly in “western lifestyle” countries where dietary habits and lifestyle also has dramatically changed over the last decades. I believe that these changes could modify the integrity of our digestive and immune systems.

My study is investigating the regulatory role of a fibre-rich diet and gut bacteria in controlling type 1 diabetes development. The results could lead to a potential safe therapeutic intervention to prevent and/or cure individuals with type 1 diabetes – a new and exciting area of investigation with potentially huge impact on worldwide health.

Thanks to the support of JDRF, I recently attended the important “Immunopathology of type 1 diabetes” conference as part of the prestigious Keystone Symposia in Canada. I was able to network and form future collaborations with leading researchers, as well as participate in impressive scientific discussions, which was valuable to my success as a young scientist.

Dr. Mariño is just one example of how JDRF supports young researchers to make a real difference in the world of type 1 diabetes research, and the lives of people with type 1 diabetes. For more information about our research funding, visit the JDRF website.

These awards are designed to recognise and thank outstanding volunteers for the time and effort they dedicate to JDRF.

Nominations will be accepted in three award categories:

1. State Volunteer of the Year – Impact
2. State Volunteer of the Year – Contribution
3. State Young Volunteer of the Year

The highest rated candidates overall will then be in the running for the National Volunteer of the Year and National Young Volunteer of the Year awards.

Nominations for the 2012/2013 Awards will be accepted for any individual who has volunteered their time, services or skills to JDRF in the current financial year, and who has not received payment or other rewards for their involvement.

Nominations are now open, and close on 28th June 2013.

For more information about the awards and to nominate a volunteer, please visit the JDRF website.

Hosting a Jelly Baby Breakfast or Brunch is a great opportunity to raise awareness of type 1 diabetes, raise funds by asking for financial gifts and sell Jelly Baby Month merchandise and confectionery. 

Register your Jelly Baby Breakfast or Brunch today!

When you commit to hosting a Jelly Baby Breakfast or Brunch, a JDRF staff member will contact you to assist you with the planning of your event. You’ll also receive a Host Kit in the mail full of great ideas on how to host a successful event as well as an event planning checklist, fundraising ideas, healthy recipes suggested by the GI Foundation and a few surprises to brighten your event! We’ve also created invitation templates and posters which you can download from the JDRF website.

Host your Jelly Baby Breakfast or Brunch and bank the funds raised by Friday 21st June 2013 to go in the draw to win a $500 Woolworths voucher.

Make sure to place your order for Jelly Baby Month merchandise and confectionery today so we can deliver it to you in time for your Jelly Baby Breakfast or Brunch!

By hosting a Jelly Baby Breakfast or Brunch you will be making a difference, so get involved today and register your event!

jellybabymonth@jdrf.org.au

1300 363 126