Research Round-Up | Diabetes UK

Find out the latest from the world of diabetes research – news, new projects, updates and blogs from researchers.

Our research's impact

Have a look at the breakthroughts that have been made, and the impact we've had, over the last 80 years.

Latest news

Rare types of diabetes unlock the secrets behind insulin production

13 November 2020

The work of Diabetes UK RD Lawrence fellow Dr Elisa De Franco has helped uncover a key gene that plays a critical role in the development of insulin producing beta cells and could potentially lead to new ways to treat all types of diabetes.

Neonatal diabetes is a rare form of diabetes that develops in babies before they are six months old, caused by a genetic mutation on their DNA.

Research news from the EASD: curing and preventing diabetes

11 November 2020

This year’s virtual European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) conference brought together thousands of researchers to share their latest discoveries and knowledge.

Beyond insulin

We’re fast approaching 100 years since the discovery of insulin.

Could an ancient remedy be a modern treatment for foot ulcers in people with diabetes?

05 November 2020

New research we funded into a medieval remedy has found it to be effective at killing harmful bacteria, as well as safe to use on living cells. This could be the first steps towards a new treatment to treat foot ulcers, a leading cause of amputations in people with diabetes.

Diabetes is the most common cause of lower limb amputations in the UK. A person with diabetes is 20 times more likely to experience an amputation than someone without the condition.

Research news from the EASD: Improving diabetes care

29 October 2020

The annual European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) conference brings together researchers from all over the world. But this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the conference went virtual.

Previously, we shared highlights of the new research that will help people with diabetes live better and more confident lives and help to prevent type 2 diabetes.

Leading diabetes researchers urge the Prime Minister to protect charity-funded research

28 October 2020

Leading researchers from across Diabetes UK’s Panels and Committees have written to the Prime Minister to urge him to financially support medical research charities through the coronavirus pandemic.

Medical research charities like us make a unique and vital contribution to research that benefits the millions of people in the UK living with long-term health conditions.

Research news from the EASD: preventing type 2 diabetes

21 October 2020

We’ve already taken a look at highlights from the virtual European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) conference about research that will help people with diabetes to live better, more confident lives.

Predicting who is likely to develop type 2 diabetes during their lives is the first essential step in preventing this condition from occurring in the first place.

Research news from the EASD: Living better lives with diabetes

13 October 2020

The annual European Associate for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) conference brings together researchers from all over the world. But this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the conference went virtual.

Thousands of researchers gathered in the online conference hall to share the latest in diabetes research.

Type 1 diabetes could begin in the womb, our research suggests

09 October 2020

Type 1 diabetes can develop in babies under six months old and the immune attack behind the condition may begin before they’re born, a new study funded by us has suggested for the first time.

Until recently, it was thought babies under six months could only develop neonatal diabetes, which is caused by a genetic change affecting insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, and not

We've partnered with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to fund research into remission

01 October 2020

We are continuing our partnership with NIHR, co-funding for a second time through the Programme Grant for Applied Research scheme, to fund research to help more people with type 2 diabetes go into and stay in remission.

Around 3.9 million people in the UK have a diagnosis of diabetes, with around 1 million people living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. By 2025, it’s expected that over 5.3 million people in the UK will be living with the condition.

Can coronavirus trigger type 1 diabetes?

20 August 2020

News reports this week have suggested a potential link between coronavirus (Covid-19) and an increase in new cases of type 1 diabetes in children.

This came from new research, published in Diabetes Care, which looked at the number of children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in five hospitals in North West London during the coronavirus p