Stumble It!
Diabetes Research in the News: Viewpoints from the DRI
Are diabetes headlines in the mainstream media mostly a bunch of hype, or do they bring us real hope for the future? The panel I moderated on this topic at the Diabetes Research Institute’s annual conference in New York City last week produced quite a lively discussion. I referenced all of your comments as well, so thank you all, Dear Readers!
As Dr. Jay Skyler pointed out, there’s only one letter difference between HYPE and HOPE.
So what was the big takeaway from this talk? I wanted to point you all to my latest Straight Up column over at dLife to find out. This one was written feverishly on the long plane ride home from NYC.
I also learned that the DRI is doing amazing things with liver cells and with umbilical cord blood as a source of adult stem cells. Regarding the former, they’re trying to “re-progr
am” liver cells to become insulin-producing cells using PDx4, which is a “master programming gene for the creation of beta cells,” they say. They’ve also discovered some proof that T-regulatory cells can help prevent Type 1 diabetes.
For all those details, here’s a link to the videos from the event. You do have to register online to view them, and they’re pretty long, but it’s next best thing to having been there 
Some more great updates and personal takes from my fellow D-bloggers who attended (hi Guys!):
Onward and Upward from Allison Blass at Lemonade Life
Harnessing New Technologies from Riva Greenberg at Diabetes Stories
Diabetes 2.1 from Scott Strumello at Scott’s Web Log
Who Knew? from Lee Ann Thill at The Butter Compartment
Blogger Sightings of the Diabetes Kind from Gina Capone over at MyDiabetesCentral.com
Hanging Out at the DRI with Val of Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Low
Fun, Informative, Inspiring from Karen of Bitter-Sweet
The DRI conference from a Deviant Diabetic’s POV from Kelly Kunik of Diabetesaliciousness
And let’s not forget the newest among our ranks, fresh from MSM (mainstream media): Fran Carpentier, former senior editor of PARADE Magazine who sat on the Hype or Hope panel and brought a ton of color and insight into the discussion. See her post on What a Difference a Community Can Make. Absolutely, Fran!
That’s the wrap on: 1) following diabetes headlines without getting depressed, and 2) how wonderful it is to meet online friends in the flesh.
btw, if I missed anyone’s DRI coverage, I apologize. Give me a holler.
Explore posts in the same categories: D-News Examined, Diabetes Essentials
Amy,
Thanks for telling us about the OLED model pump. When I clicked on the link, and realized that its inventor was a Czech man, I e-mailed him (as I speak Czech to some degree of fluency.) Jiri e-mailed me back and I learned, as I guessed I might have, that he is a Type I diabetic and that he currently wears the same insulin pump as me the MiniMed 522. I am also relieved to know that anyone in the formerly impoverished Czech Republic has access to insulin pumps. Back in the days of the Communist regime, when I visited there, diabetes was always very poorly controlled.
Posted by: June S. | November 6th, 2008 at 6:38 amAmy –
Posted by: Kelly K | November 6th, 2008 at 6:29 pmThe DRI conference was wonderful and informative. You my friend, did an outstanding job as Moderator, and I was SO happy to FINALLY meet you and the others I hadn’t met face to face & reconnect with Scott & Allison!
Thanks for the “shout out”
k2