A study from Children's Hospital of Pittsburg and Pittsburgh Medical Center, has shown that type 1 diabetes can be reversed in a mouse model. The scientists extracted the mouse's dendritic cells from the blood and enhanced them with specific molecule blockers. They then reinjected them into the mouse. This procedure stopped the process that kills beta cells, by blocking the T cells which attack them.

A series of injections over the course of several weeks interrupted the T cell attack on the beta cells of the pancreas and allowed the beta cells to regenerate. This resulted in the pancreas of the mice producing insulin again.

Now, the researchers at the Children's Hospital are moving on to human trials. Phase I of the trials was set to start this this past March, to determine the safety of the procedure. Scientists are hopeful that the trials will be successful.

In a quote from a press release:

“We are very excited to begin the clinical trials and see if this process will work in patients with type 1 diabetes,” said Dr. Trucco. “A type 1 diabetes diagnosis can be devastating for children and their families. We hope this trial will have results that are life-altering for patients who suffer from this disease.”

Massimo Trucco, MD, one of the lead researchers in this study, also is the Hillman Professor of Pediatric Immunology at Children’s Hospital and a professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

The trial is currently recruiting participants with new onset type 1 diabetes. Read the requirements for the study here...

• Autologous Dendritic Cell Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes Suppression: A Safety Study

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Diabetes is a complicated disease to manage. Sometimes it can seem overwhelming. Talking to others who know how you feel, can really help.

Check out the Diabetes Forum, and meet members who know what you are going through, because they are going through it too.

If you need information, or would like to know how others cope, or if you just want to hang out and be one of the gang, visit the Diabetes Forum.

• Click here to enter the Diabetes Forum.

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A lack of daily physical activity can lead to obesity, a major factor in developing type 2 diabetes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) a sedentary lifestyle is one of the 10 leading causes of death and disability.

Less than 50% of Americans get the recommended amount of physical activity, which is at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Twenty-five percent don't get any exercise at all.

What is the relationship between diabetes, exercise and obesity?

Read the article, by LifeWire writer Jennifer Hicks, here...

• A Sedentary Lifestyle and Diabetes

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Exercise is an important part of diabetes management. It lowers blood glucose levels for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It also helps you keep your weight down, burns fat, and builds muscle, which helps lessen insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes. But, what if you have arthritis on top of diabetes? It isn't easy to exercise when your joints are aching.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that at least 50% of people with diabetes also have arthritis. This was in comparison to 27% of all adults surveyed. This is based on a survey called the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). It's a nationwide, randomized telephone survey, where participants answer questions about their health.

According to the Arthritis Foundation Self-Help Program, gentle exercise that promotes flexibility, strength and cardiovascular benefits is important for people with arthritis, too. It keeps joints from becoming stiff, strengthens the support structures surrounding the joints, and increases well-being.

Good exercise choices include: swimming, walking, bicycling, yoga and tai chi. As always, check with your physician before starting any exercise program.

More from your diabetes guide...

• Exercising with Limited Mobility
• When Exercise Hurts
• Swimming for Diabetes: How to Take the Plunge

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What if you could play a video game and achieve better health? What if you weren't a teenager? What if you were the grandparent of a teenager? Could you still reap the benefits of a video game that gets you up off the couch and dancing like crazy?

The answer is... yes. That is, if you're dancing to the video game known as Dance Dance Revolution. In a six week University of Pittsburgh pilot study, 31 postmenopausal women who were 48 to 70 years old and led sedentary lifestyles, were asked to play the game. Dance Dance Revolution is an interactive video game that challenges players to follow the dance moves that are shown on the screen, by moving their feet on a pressure sensitive mat in the right sequence. Players score points for doing it correctly, and then they progress through increasingly complicated levels.

The women were supposed to play the game for 30 minutes twice a week. Many of the women found the game to be so much fun, that they asked the researchers if they could play longer, more often.

The women who completed the study lost weight, with the more overweight participants losing up to 20 pounds. Women with high blood pressure lowered their pressure, some by 20 points.

Stephanie Studenski, MD, MPH, the lead researcher of the study has lost 50 pounds since she started playing the game.

Read the press release from the American Geriatrics Society...

• Experts at 2008 American Geriatrics Society Annual Scientific Meeting Reveal How Popular Video Dance Game Helps Postmenopausal Women

_{*As with all exercise programs, please check with your doctor before using Dance Dance Revolution.}

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Are you at risk for diabetes? Do you know your fasting blood glucose level? According to the National Changing Diabetes Program, initiated by Novo Nordisk, only 17% of people who are at risk for type 2 diabetes know their blood glucose level and what action they should take if it indicates pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes.

Currently, according to the National Institutes of Health, over 20 million people have diabetes. Over 6 million of that total are estimated to be undiagnosed, and the number is growing everyday.

The National Diabetes Goal aims to change this situation, by educating the U.S. population about knowing their fasting blood glucose level. It is the first step towards diagnosis and treatment. The National Diabetes Goal is

What is the National Diabetes Goal?

By 2015, 45% of Americans, or approximately 59 million Americans who are at-risk for type 2 diabetes will know their blood glucose level and know what action to take.

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), along with 20 other organizations, endorses this goal, stating in their press release...

The National Diabetes Goal has a call to action for every American:

• Find out if you are at risk for type 2 diabetes
• Ask about getting your blood glucose tested during your next doctor's visit
• Know your blood glucose level and what actions to take

More from your About.com Diabetes Guide...

• Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes
• The Fasting Blood Glucose Test

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In 2005, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was notified of 5 teen deaths that occurred with the use of insulin pumps. This raised a red flag for the FDA, and in an effort to reduce the potential risk to teens who use an insulin pump and find out why fatalities occurred, a comprehensive ten year retrospective study was conducted.

The study appears in this month's issue of Pediatrics - The official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

1,594 adverse event reports were reviewed for insulin pumps used by teens. Thirteen deaths occurred during those ten years (2 of which were suspected suicide attempts), and many additional reports of injury, including severe hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic episodes were noted and appeared to be related to the use of the pumps. Eighty-two percent of the adverse events resulted in teens being hospitalized. There were 102 events in all. This is 6.4% of the teen population who use the pumps.

Several causes for adverse events were identified during this study, including:

• Compliance issues
• Need for more education
• Sports and other related activities
• User damage to the pump, for example, dropping the pump or otherwise damaging it with use.

The majority of teens who use insulin pumps do not suffer from adverse events. The pumps help many teens maintain better compliance with their diabetes, by making it easier to enjoy social events and feel more like they can have a normal life like their friends.

But, teens may require close medical and parental supervision, to make sure that they understand how the pump works and that they are using it correctly and making sure that it does not malfunction or become damaged.

Read the abstract as it appears in this month's issue of Pediatrics...

• Adolescent Use of Insulin and Patient-Controlled Analgesia Pump Technology: A 10-Year Food and Drug Administration Retrospective Study of Adverse Events

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When you have diabetes, it's very important to see an eye doctor regularly. Diabetic retinopathy is a serious complication of diabetes. According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, between 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of blindness every year are attributed to diabetes.

Recently, glaucoma was added to the list of possible eye complications. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) says that having diabetes puts you at a 40% higher risk for glaucoma than people who don't have the disease. The length of time that you have diabetes also increases your risk. Glaucoma can be treated with medications, eye drops or surgery. Early detection and treatment can save your eyesight, so make sure you are checked for glaucoma annually.

If you notice any changes in your vision, please see your eye doctor as soon as possible.

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A press release from Pfizer, dated April 9, 2008, states that product labeling for Exubera, the company's inhaled insulin, has been changed to include a warning that lung cancer cases have been observed in patients who have used Exubera.

A clincial trial that involved 4,740 people who used Exubera and 4,292 people who did not, showed that 6 of the Exubera group developed lung cancer, versus only 1 person in the group who did not use the drug.

Pfizer does say that all of the people who were diagnosed with lung cancer had also been smokers, and that the study was too small to say for sure that the lung cancer was caused by Exubera.

Pfizer actually stopped marketing Exubera in October of 2007, because sales did not meet expectations. However there are still people who use Exubera, such as people who are in extended transition programs or clinical trials.

Pfizer recommends that people who are still using Exubera should talk to their doctors about other options to treat their diabetes.

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Complications of diabetes can affect your feet. Numbness and tingling can signal nerve damage, also known as neuropathy. One of the dangers of neuropathy is that if a cut or sore develops on your foot, you may not be able to feel it. This can lead to infection.

Due to decreased circulation, infections can be very difficult to treat. The most serious complication is that an infection may lead to gangrene, which is death of the tissue. Gangrene can lead to amputation.

Protect yourself from these serious complications. Be on the lookout for cuts or sores. Watch for signs of infection, such as redness, warmth, swelling or drainage. Seek immediate medical attention if you see any of these signs. Read more about how to protect your feet...

• Top Ten Foot Care Tips

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