People with a family history of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) can now participate in free screening even if they live far from a study site. This alternative to site-based initial screening comes as modern technology enables more secure online registration for medical research. The screening is complete with a questionnaire and blood test for T1D TrialNet, which is an NIH funded long-term international collaboration aimed at finding ways to delay or prevent T1D in people at increased risk.
TrialNet is a network of 18 clinical centers working in cooperation with more than 200 sites throughout the U.S. Canada, Finland, Britain, Italy, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand. TrialNet needs to screen more than 20,000 relatives of people with T1D each year to perform the studies needed to reach its research goals.
Previously, relatives needed to visit a study site or attend a screening event. Now after answering a few questions online at www.diabetestrialnet.org eligible volunteers receive a kit and are directed to a local lab for screening at no cost to the volunteer.
People who have antibodies associated with the development of T1D will be contacted by a TrialNet center to review the results. They may be invited to have more blood tests at a study center, and invited to join a study aimed at preventing or delaying the disease
Children under 18 years old who do not have the antibodies can be retested annually to see if their risk has changed. Of every 100 people tested, typically only 3 or 4 will have antibodies showing an increased risk for T1D.
Launched in 2001, TrialNet has also demonstrated that two drugs, Rituzimab and Abatacept slow the loss of insulin production in people with new-onsetT1D. This finding could improve diabetes control and delay complications. TrialNet has also contributed to research showing that anti-CD3, an immunosuppressive drug, can slow loss of insulin production. Three prevention studies are still ongoing.