Relatives of people with type 1 diabetes are 15 times more likely than the general population to develop the autoimmune disease.
At Columbia's Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, relatives of people with type 1 diabetes who have not yet developed symptoms can enroll in studies being conducted to uncover why the disease develops and how its development could be delayed or prevented.
The Berrie Center is one of 25 clinical centers in the world participating in type 1 diabetes studies through TrialNet, an NIH-funded international network of academic institutions at the forefront of type 1 research.
Below are TrialNet studies available at the Berrie Center.
Pathway to Prevention
The risk of developing type 1 diabetes is linked to the presence of five antibodies that are directed against the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. All individuals who have two or more of these antibodies are classified as having early-stage type 1 diabetes, even though glucose levels at this stage are normal. These individuals will eventually lose the ability to make insulin.
Pathway to Prevention screening is the first step for all TrialNet prevention studies. Screening is offered at no cost to eligible individuals to evaluate their personal risk of developing the disease.
People who are at risk may be eligible for other TrialNet studies that will help researchers learn more about how type 1 diabetes develops and explore ways to prevent it.
Visit the Berrie Center's Pathway to Prevention
