Type 1 Diabetes

Helmsley’s Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) Program is dedicated to helping the global T1D community live safer, better, and more fulfilling lives today while funding advancements in research and technology for a better tomorrow. To make this vision a reality, our T1D program takes bold but informed risks to support researchers developing new therapies and interventions that can treat, prevent, or delay the disease. We are committed to equitable, affordable access to the tools that can help people with T1D achieve better outcomes. Every day counts for people with T1D and their support network, which is why we build collaborative partnerships to expand the availability of resources to these communities.

Over the last century, advances in therapies and technologies have drastically improved health and daily lives for many with T1D, but the risk of hospitalization and serious complications persists. Managing T1D remains a lifelong, often mentally-taxing challenge that complicates everyday decisions around diet, exercise, and health. It requires around-the-clock management of blood sugar and regular administration of insulin, a drug that can cause hypoglycemia — low blood sugar that can be fatal — if not dosed correctly. Meanwhile, treatments and technologies that can significantly reduce the burden of T1D are not available to everyone.

What Is T1D?

T1D is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks beta cells in the pancreas. Beta cells produce insulin, an essential hormone that allows the body to metabolize food. People with T1D depend on therapeutic insulin, administered multiple times a day, to regulate their blood sugar — without insulin, or if insulin is dosed improperly, T1D is fatal.

In addition to the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells, in T1D the neighboring alpha cells are also dysregulated. Alpha cells produce glucagon, a hormone important for the response to low blood sugar — which can also be life-threatening.

T1D can develop at any age. The exact causes of T1D are unknown, but genetics and environmental influences are believed to contribute.

Managing T1D can be incredibly taxing on people with T1D and their caregivers. Because the risk of death is real and immediate, at Helmsley, we’re committed to easing this burden and improving outcomes for all people living with T1D.