Early Detection
Identify Type 1 diabetes before symptoms develop.
Type 1 diabetes can develop over months or years before symptoms appear. Screening looks for risk signals such as diabetes-related autoantibodies so people can be monitored earlier.
Why it matters
- Reduce the risk of DKA at diagnosis
- Give families time to learn and prepare
- Identify people who may qualify for monitoring or prevention research
Current focus
- Autoantibody screening
- Genetic risk assessment
- Population screening
- Family-member screening
Goal
★★★★☆ First approved therapy
Disease Modification
Slow or interrupt the autoimmune process.
This area asks whether the immune system can be redirected before insulin production is completely lost. Teplizumab / Tzield is the best-known example because it can delay progression to clinical Type 1 diabetes in certain eligible people.
Why it matters
- Shifts the focus upstream from blood sugar alone
- Shows that the disease course can be changed
- Creates room for combination immune approaches
Current focus
- Immune tolerance therapies
- Anti-CD3 antibodies
- Regulatory T-cell approaches
- Combination immune therapies
Goal
★★★☆☆ Promising and evolving
Cell Replacement
Restore insulin-producing cells.
If functioning beta cells can be restored, the body may be able to produce insulin again. Researchers are studying donor islet therapy, stem-cell-derived islets, pancreas transplantation, and engineered beta cells.
Why it matters
- Addresses the loss of insulin-producing beta cells
- Could reduce or remove the need for routine insulin therapy in selected cases
- Creates a path toward scalable manufactured cells
Current focus
- Stem-cell-derived islets
- Donor islet transplantation
- Gene-edited beta cells
- Manufacturing and durability
Goal
★★☆☆☆ Mostly investigational
Immune Protection
Protect replacement cells from immune attack.
Replacing beta cells is only part of the problem. Those cells also need protection from rejection and from the autoimmune process that caused Type 1 diabetes in the first place.
Why it matters
- May reduce dependence on broad immunosuppression
- Could make cell therapies safer and more practical
- Connects cell replacement to long-term durability
Current focus
- Encapsulation devices
- Immune-evasive engineered cells
- Gene editing
- Biomaterials and local immune modulation
Goal
★★★★★ Already helping people
Automation & Burden Reduction
Reduce the daily work of living with Type 1 diabetes.
Automated insulin delivery systems combine CGMs, pumps, and algorithms to adjust insulin delivery. Newer work looks at prediction models, exercise detection, meal support, and AI-assisted decision tools.
Why it matters
- Improves quality of life now
- Reduces some highs, lows, and decision fatigue
- Creates data systems that may support future care models
Current focus
- Continuous glucose monitors
- Insulin pumps
- Automated insulin delivery
- AI-assisted diabetes management
Goal
★★☆☆☆ Long-term objective
Functional Cure
Achieve long-term insulin independence.
A functional cure does not necessarily mean eliminating autoimmunity forever. It usually means maintaining healthy blood sugar without routine insulin therapy while preserving normal daily life.
Why it matters
- Combines advances from multiple research areas
- Focuses on durable, safe, practical independence from insulin therapy
- Keeps expectations grounded while tracking long-term progress
Current focus
- Durable beta-cell replacement
- Immune protection
- Disease-modifying immune therapies
- Long-term safety and scalable manufacturing
