Society and culture

See also: List of people with diabetes mellitus type 1

The disease was estimated to cause $10.5 billion in annual medical costs ($875 per month per diabetic) and an additional $4.4 billion in indirect costs ($366 per month per person with diabetes) in the U.S.^[80] In the United States $245 billion every year is attributed to diabetes. Individuals diagnosed with diabetes have 2.3 times the health care costs as individuals who do not have diabetes. One in 10 health care dollars are spent on individuals with diabetes.^[75]

Research

Funding for research into type 1 diabetes originates from government, industry (e.g., pharmaceutical companies), and charitable organizations. Government funding in the United States is distributed via the National Institute of Health, and in the UK via the National Institute for Health Research or the Medical Research Council. JDRF, founded by parents of children with type 1 diabetes, is the world's largest provider of charity based funding for type 1 diabetes research. Other charities include the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes UK, Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation,^[81] Diabetes Australia, the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Treatments

A number of approaches have been explored to provide treatments for type 1.

Stem cells

Pluripotent stem cells can be used to generate beta cells but previously these cells did not function as well as normal beta cells.^[82] In 2014 more mature beta cells were produced which released insulin in response to blood sugar when transplanted into mice.^[83][84] Before these techniques can be used in humans more evidence of safety and effectiveness is needed.^[82]

Vaccine

Vaccines to treat or prevent Type 1 diabetes are designed to induce immune tolerance to insulin or pancreatic beta cells.^[85] While Phase II clinical trials of a vaccine containing alum and recombinant GAD65, an autoantigen involved in type 1 diabetes, were promising, as of 2014 Phase III had failed.^[85] As of 2014, other approaches, such as a DNA vaccine encoding proinsulin and a peptide fragment of insulin, were in early clinical development.^[85]

Diet

There is evidence from experiments conducted in animal models that removal of gluten from the diet may prevent the onset type 1 diabetes^[32][86] but there has been conflicting research in humans.^[86]