News

Professor joins call for more research funding

Published 20 April 2012

Professor Adrian Bone, the University of Brighton's professor of cell and molecular biology, joined with Brighton MP Caroline Lucas in supporting calls for the government to commit more funding to Type 1 diabetes research.

Professor Adrian Bone, funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), is leading one of the most innovative research projects to find a cure for the disease. It has shown that, contrary to popular belief, insulin-producing beta-cells attempt to replicate themselves in response to the development of diabetes.

Professor Bone said this offers hope that it might be possible to develop therapies which could allow some patients with Type 1 diabetes to renew their own capacity to produce insulin.

Some 40 young people and 20 adults with Type 1 diabetes will be attending the first ever "Type 1 Parliament" lobbying event at the Houses of Parliament on 25 April.

Local teenager Izzi Hickmott, will be among those attending the event, organised by JDRF. Izzi recently organised a non school uniform day at her school, Dorothy Stringer, and raised £800 for JDRF. She said: "Living with Type 1 diabetes is a constant struggle as you never get a day off worrying, calculating insulin doses and testing. I know I will have to do this for the rest of my life. I just hope that in my lifetime there will be a cure so that I can get back to living the sort of life most people take for granted."

Left to right: Caroline Lucas, Professor Adrian Bone and Izzi Hickmott

Caroline Lucas said: "Izzi is a passionate young campaigner committed to raising awareness of the realities of living with Type 1 diabetes, so it’s great news that she has been chosen to bring this message to the heart of Westminster as part of Type 1 Parliament.

"It's clear that far greater research is needed into Type 1 diabetes, which affects around 350,000 people in the UK, to ensure that more pioneering projects like that being led by Professor Bone are able to work towards finding a cure.

"We also need to look at ways to improve the situation for young people with Type 1 diabetes in schools, including practical measures to enable them to cope with exam situations and school trips, and information to help teachers and other students understand the challenges.

"I think there is a really strong case for a Brighton and Hove Education Policy for children and young people with Type 1 diabetes in schools, and I have written to my Green colleagues at the council to explore how we might take this forward."

View a film about Professor Bone's research into diabetes.