There isn’t a cure for diabetes right now. But scientists across the UK are pushing boundaries and taking steps to build a future where diabetes can do no harm. Our scientists are busy with exciting developments. Here, we take a look at the life-changing research taking place both for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

Is there a cure for Type 2 diabetes?

There’s no cure yet, but our scientists are working on a ground-breaking weight management study, to help people put their Type 2 diabetes into remission. Remission is when blood glucose (or blood sugar) levels are in a normal range again. This doesn’t mean diabetes has gone for good. It’s still really important for people in remission to get regular healthcare checks. But being in remission can be life changing.

Our ground-breaking study is called DiRECT, short for Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial, and it could completely change the way Type 2 diabetes is treated in the future.

Is there a cure for Type 1 diabetes?

In Type 1 diabetes, insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas are destroyed by the immune system. This means you can’t make the insulin you need to live.

To stop Type 1 diabetes we need to disrupt the immune system’s attack on beta cells. And our scientists are working on it. They’re aiming to develop and test treatments – called immunotherapies – that target the immune system to stop it destroying beta cells.