Diabetes Mellitus Type I

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease involving excessively high levels of blood glucose, either due to absence of insulin production (Type I), or decreased insulin production or insulin receptor dysfunction (Type II). Diabetes can be fatal if left untreated. A study estimates 366 million people are affected by diabetes worldwide, and predicts the number to rise to 552 million by the end of 2030^[1].

Type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM) account for 5 % – 10 % ^{[3, 4]} of diabetes cases. Nonetheless, a cure or prevention for T1DM does not yet exist. Type I diabetes can occur anytime in life, and is most prevalent in children and teenagers aged 8 – 16. The causes for type I diabetes remains unclear, it is, however, most commonly attributed to autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells.

Figure 1. An estimation of type I diabetes global incidence by region. Data shown are cases per 100,000 people. (Adapted from [2])

Currently, the primary treatment for T1DM is insulin therapy, which involves daily injections of insulin and constant monitoring of blood glucose levels as well as food intake. Insulin pumps and continuous blood glucose monitors are increasingly utilized to ameliorate the need for constant care. However, insulin therapy requires regular, if not constant, maintenance, and is by no means considered a cure.

There are attempts at developing a cure for T1DM, either through islet transplantation or stem cell regeneration, which would restore insulin production in T1DM patients. A more novel approach involves gene therapy, aimed at granting somatic cells other than beta cells the ability to produce insulin via artificial gene transfer.

Reference

[1] Whiting, David R., et al. "IDF diabetes atlas: global estimates of the prevalence of diabetes for 2011 and 2030." Diabetes research and clinical practice 94.3 (2011): 311-321.
[2] Mark A Atkinson, George S Eisenbarth, Aaron W Michels, Type 1 diabetes, The Lancet, Volume 383, Issue 9911, 4–10 January 2014, Pages 69-82, ISSN 0140-6736, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60591-7.
[3] Type 1 diabetes, American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/type-1/
[4] Type 1 diabetes, NHS. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Diabetes-type1/Pages/Introduction.aspx