Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the immune system destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, requiring lifelong insulin therapy. The first disease-modifying treatment to delay progression — teplizumab — was approved and is opening a new chapter in prevention-focused research.
What's actually going on in research
Teplizumab, an anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody, can delay the onset of type 1 diabetes by about two years in high-risk individuals, and trials are exploring whether longer or earlier treatment can prevent it entirely. Stem cell-derived beta cell transplants are being tested in clinical trials as a path to restoring natural insulin production without lifelong immunosuppression. Closed-loop insulin delivery systems ("artificial pancreas" technology) continue to improve, and trials are testing new versions in young children and pregnant women.
Immune therapy to delay onset
Anti-CD3 antibodies and other immunotherapies targeting the autoimmune attack on beta cells are being tested in at-risk relatives to see if disease onset can be prevented or indefinitely delayed.
Beta cell replacement
Stem cell-derived islet cells encapsulated in protective devices are in early trials for people with established type 1 diabetes, aiming to restore insulin production without immunosuppression.
Closed-loop insulin systems
Automated insulin delivery systems that continuously sense glucose and adjust insulin every few minutes are reducing dangerous highs and lows in trials across all age groups including toddlers.
What to know before you search
Eligibility for prevention trials requires being a first-degree relative with multiple autoantibodies; device and beta cell trials require an established type 1 diabetes diagnosis, often with specific hypoglycemia risk or C-peptide levels.
What types of trials are currently open
- Prevention trials — Testing immune therapies to prevent or delay type 1 diabetes onset in high-risk relatives.
- Beta cell replacement trials — Evaluating stem cell-derived islet transplantation and encapsulation devices.
- Device trials — Testing automated insulin delivery systems, continuous glucose monitors, and hybrid closed-loop combinations.
- Immune modulation trials — Testing drugs that preserve remaining beta cell function after diagnosis.
- Observational studies — Tracking autoantibody progression and environmental triggers in family members of people with type 1 diabetes.
Recently added Type 1 Diabetes trials
Impact of Obesity on Microvascular Insulin Action and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Type 1 Diabetes
The purpose of this study is: * To see if insulin resistance (how sensitive your muscle tissue is to insulin) is associated with lower cardio fitness in people with Type 1 diabetes compared to healthy controls, before and after a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) exercise program. * To see if being overweight and having Type 1 diabetes is associated with lower cardio fitness compared to overweight healthy controls, before and after a HIIT exercise program.
A Phase 1, Multiple Ascending Dose Study to Evaluate HMS1005 in Participants With Type 2 Diabetes
The study is to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamic profile of HMS1005 in patient with diabetes
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