Circulating Biomarkers in the Development of Type 1 Diabetes

More than 100 million U.S. adults are now living with diabetes or prediabetes. Investigators still do not fully understand how diabetes develops and how the disease worsens. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body use sugar as a fuel and control blood-sugar levels. People with diabetes have problems making insulin. This is because their insulin-producing beta cells -in the pancreas-are damaged or destroyed. A biomarker is a biological molecule (such as DNA, RNA (the genetic material of cells) or protein) that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease. A biomarker can be measured and found in blood and/or other body fluids (such as saliva and urine). Understanding the biology of beta cells could help find diabetes-related biomarkers. The discoveries from this research could help with early diagnosis of diabetes and lead to the creation of therapies for treating diabetes.