Show Notes
In Canada, leading stem cell scientists are working hard to find ways to use these cells to improve the health of people living with type 1 diabetes.
On this episode, host Krista Lamb speaks with Dr. Francis Lynn from the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. Dr. Lynn is leading research projects using stem-cell-derived beta cells, as well as exploring ways to use CRISPR technology in this work.
He is also the winner of the 2021 Early Career Researcher Partnership Award from Diabetes Canada.
More from Diabetes Canada Podcast
Diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, is one of the most feared complications of type 1 diabetes. That’s why researchers are looking for new and innovative ways to increase awareness of what DKA is and how it can be prevented.
How can we change the conversation about diabetes? For Diabetes Awareness Month, that’s a question Diabetes Canada is tackling head on.
As technology in type 1 diabetes becomes more advanced, we are starting to see an increase in personalized therapies. Whether someone is using hybrid closed loop or multiple daily injections, there are options being studied to make living with diabetes easier to manage.
In someone without diabetes, blood sugars are controlled by a hormone called insulin. Insulin lowers blood sugar levels, and is produced by cells in the pancreas called beta cells. If someone is at risk of developing diabetes, their beta cells can't produce enough insulin, which puts the beta cells under stress. The beta cells try to adapt, but if this fails, a vicious cycle begins.
Beta cells play a big role in diabetes, and what we know about them continues to evolve.