Since 1986, corporate Canada has been participating in one of Canada’s longest running and top fundraising events, the JDRF Ride to Defeat Diabetes. This year rides were held in Montréal and Toronto on October 10 and 16 and 17, respectively, along with ‘Ride Your Way’ events taking place across the country all October.
T1D is an autoimmune condition impacting nearly 300,000 Canadians. The incidence of T1D in Canada is rising by 4.4% each year, higher than the global average of 3% – and we don’t know why. Funds raised from the Ride will accelerate the pace of the most promising research into cures and support programs that improve the lives of those living with the disease today.
More than 1400 teams and over 7000 fundraisers from more than 85 Canadian companies coast to coast participated in this high-energy event. Our Riders have secured over 18,300 donations and have raised over $2.1 million and counting. We could not be more grateful for everyone’s efforts!
Together, corporate Canada made a difference for Canadians living with T1D and the approximately 11,000 more who will have been diagnosed with the disease this year.
A huge thank you to our sponsors, volunteers, JDRF ambassadors who shared their stories of what it’s like to live with T1D, and the people who came out to ride. Without them – none of this would be possible. Their support is helping us get closer to our goal for cures for type 1 diabetes.
Thank you also to our emcees in Montreal and Toronto emcees, Benoit, Heather and Tania who pulled double duty hosting in both cities.
Thank you again to everyone who participated and to our generous corporate partners. We hope to see all of you out again next year!
From September 9-13th, 2024, scientists, healthcare professionals, and the diabetes community from around the world gathered in Madrid, Spain for the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) annual conference. The event was attended by researchers, clinicians, pharmaceutical and device companies, regulators and leaders in the diabetes field from more than 120 countries, and featured presentations on type 1 diabetes (T1D) from many researchers funded both by JDRF Canada and our global affiliates.
Below are a few of the highlights.
Cures Research
Canadian company Sernova (London, ON) reported on their Cell Pouch System – an encapsulation device that acts like a “teabag” for cadaveric donor islets to be transplanted into people with T1D. Multiple cohorts of people have had the pouch implanted and, notably, the first patient has had the pouch for longer than 5 –years. The interim results have demonstrated safety (no adverse events to the pouch) and efficacy (islets are receiving blood flow and functioning). These clinical trials are still ongoing in Chicago, IL, and an additional cohort is expected to begin before the end of 2024.
Dr. Timothy Kieffer of the University of British Columbia (UBC), and a project lead at the JDRF Centre of Excellence at UBC, presented on the safety and potential of stem cell-derived islet products. He outlined a long list of considerations in ensuring the safety of stem cell-derived islets, from the initial cell line (the original cells that are used to create islets) to the importance of patient choice. This talk was promising but realistic – noting that there are still many nuances that need to be addressed before cell therapy is a reality for the majority of people living with T1D.
The Joslin Diabetes Centre (Boston, MA) presented fascinating research from their Medalist Study of people living with T1D for 50+ years! In a study of 245 medalists, just over 30% had detectable levels of C-peptide, which is a biomarker for insulin production from beta cells. We know from years of research that some people with long-standing T1D still have functional beta cells and may still even be producing insulin (at very low levels), but it’s remarkable to see such results in a large cohort of people with T1D for 50+ years. This evidence supports the basis for beta cell regeneration approaches – that is, that in many people with T1D there are still insulin-producing cells that could proliferate (regrow more cells) with the right therapy.
Lindsay Pallo and Dr. Bruce Verchere, researchers at the JDRF Centre of Excellence at UBC, presented preliminary evidence of their immunotherapy work that is being conducted in collaboration with Vancouver-based Integrated Nanotherapeutics. This work is using an approach based on mRNA-containing lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) – the same type of technology used in COVID-19 mRNA-based vaccines. The new approach involves LNPs that contain T1D-relevant proteins plus immunomodulatory drugs, which the researchers’ data showed can prevent the onset of T1D in mice – and may even reverse established T1D. This type of immunotherapy could reduce or prevent further beta cell autoimmune attack, thereby preserving the ability to produce insulin and stopping T1D in its tracks.
Improving Lives Research
Researchers from McGill University, led by Dr. Ahmad Haidar, shared positive results from a small 4-week long study examining the use of semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, sold under the trade name of Ozempic or Wegovy, in people with T1D using an automated insulin delivery (AID) system. Semaglutide has been shown to be effective at improving glucose and weight management in individuals living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity, but clinical trials for T1D are more limited. Graduate student Linden Perz reported that semaglutide improved glucose control in people with T1D using an AID system by increasing time in range and lowering time in hyperglycemia. Importantly, there was no increase in time in hypoglycemia and weight and insulin doses both decreased.
In cardiovascular research, Roberta Lupoli from Naples, Italy presented data showing that poorer vascular function is linked to increased time above range—and that three months on an AID system lowers time above range and improves endothelial function (the cells that line blood vessels and the heart).
Bayer’s FINEARTS-HF study results were discussed from a pivotal trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the oral medication finerenone in patients with heart failure (both with and without T1D and T2D). Finerenone showed statistically significant improvement in cardiovascular outcomes in adults with heart failure. Finerenone (AKA Kerendia) is currently approved for kidney disease in T2D and is under investigation for kidney disease in T1D.
This is welcome news for a few reasons. First, more drugs are needed for people with cardiovascular disease and T1D as this is the most common cause of death and disability in people with the condition. Secondly, finerenone is approved in Canada for use in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and kidney disease in T2D—but not T1D. The inclusion of people with T1D in the Finerenone (FINE-ONE) study is significant. Breakthrough T1D Headquarters (formerly JDRF International) and JDRF Canada applaud the initiative and encourage anyone living with T1D and chronic kidney disease to consider participating in the trial (LINK).
Research carried out at the University of Dundee has revealed that fear of hypoglycemia is a major barrier to physical activity among adults with T1D, despite advances in glucose monitoring and insulin therapy. The study highlights that improved education and discussions about safe exercise management in clinical settings could help address these fears. Participants who understood how to manage insulin and carbohydrate intake before and after exercise were less fearful of hypoglycemia, suggesting that better conversations in clinic could help people feel more confident exercising.
Lastly, several presentations focused on the transformative power of medical devices to improve the lives of those living with T1D.
Among these presentations was a talk from Dr. Thomas Danne, Chief Medical Officer of Breakthrough T1D Headquarters (formerly JDRF International), who discussed the transformative nature of AID systems, (which Breakthrough T1D HQ played a significant role in developing through research and advocacy). These systems are still underutilized worldwide for a variety of reasons. However, diabetes technology is not a cure now, and it will not be in the future. Disease-modifying and cell therapies are going to be the advances that allow us to walk away from this disease for good.
New technology has been transformational—and it will continue to get better—but more people need access to it, and earlier. Diabetes technology will not cure this disease. But it does have the potential to keep people healthy so they can take advantage of cures when they are realized.
JDRF Canada is pleased to share that our US affiliate Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF, headquartered in the US) has awarded an Industry Drug and Development Grant to Integrated Nanotherapeutics (“INT”, Vancouver, BC). Founded by academic scientists, including Dr. Bruce Verchere – lead of the JDRF Centre of Excellence at UBC – INT is a biotechnology company that is focused on treatments for autoimmune diseases.
INT’s first asset focuses on type 1 diabetes and aims to “train” the immune system not to attack its own cells via a “tolerizing” therapeutic. This is done with a combination “vaccine-like” product that uses their proprietary multi-cargo lipid nanoparticles platform to co-deliver mRNA expressing antigens (to find the autoimmune antibodies) and small molecule immunomodulators (to reprogram self-attacking immune cells).
T1D is an autoimmune disease where immune cells mistakenly attack the cells in the pancreas responsible for producing insulin. Part of JDRF Canada and its global affiliates’ research strategy, (including Breakthrough T1D in the United States) is identifying when this autoimmune process takes place and ideally stopping it before it can start.
INT’s development of an immune tolerizing therapeutic designed to train the immune system not to attack its own cells is now supported by an award from Breakthrough T1D under its Industry Discovery and Development Partnership (IDDP) program.
The research project will explore the use of INT’s proprietary technology platform, which employs multi-cargo lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver multiple antigens using mRNA, along with immune-modifying small molecules, to re-train the immune system.
In T1D, immune cells incorrectly recognize self-antigens made by insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas as a threat, resulting in the attack and loss of these cells, eventually requiring anyone with the disease to need an external source of insulin, administered daily either by multiple daily injection, pen or pump. By co-delivering beta cell self-antigens and immune-modifying molecules that induce immune protection rather than attack, it may be possible to preserve the remaining beta cells in someone with T1D and stop the progression of disease. This is y known as “tolerization”.
INT’s approach aims to provide a tolerizing therapy that doesn’t require frequent treatment administration, and without the need for chronic immune suppression, which puts people receiving the treatment at risk for developing infections and other illnesses.
INT’s collaboration with Breakthrough T1D, the American affiliate of JDRF Canada, further bolsters the company’s focus on T1D for this groundbreaking technology.
“JDRF fellowships transformed my scientific career, empowering me to pursue my research ideas, connect with the T1D community and ultimately propelled me onto a career path of innovation with the goal of improving the lives of people living with T1D,” says Heather Denroche, PhD, Director of Preclinical Development, Integrated Nanotherapeutics, Inc. and past holder of a JDRF Advanced Postdoctoral Fellowship.
JDRF Canada is excited to see this research being conducted out of Canada and will provide more updates as they become available.
