August 2007 eUpdate

Research News

Kraft Family Fellow helping to unlock secrets of pancreas development
Post-doctoral diabetes researcher Anastasia Mavropoulos, PhD was recently awarded the first Kraft Family Fellowship, a new program made possible by a family committed to furthering the careers of highly talented post-doctoral students. This fellowship helps to support Dr. Mavropoulos’ promising research in pancreas development. [more]

Diabetes Center's McManus receives prestigious Keck Award
UCSF can count another young research star among its ranks. Michael McManus, PhD was recently awarded a $1.75 million research grant by the W.M. Keck Foundation. Each year, the foundation supports promising scientists in the country pursuing breakthrough biomedical research. McManus is rapidly becoming an expert in microRNAs - the so called “dark matter” of the genome. These very small pieces of genetic material control most of the genes we express, creating new biotechnology tools that may lead to new cures for diseases including diabetes. This award truly represents the best of the Diabetes Center collaborative efforts. By teaming up with prominent UCSF immunologists Drs. Jeffrey Bluestone, Lewis Lanier, Abbul Abbas, and Art Weiss, who will aid in the initial analysis as well as UCSF developmental biology experts Drs. Mike German and Deepak Srivastava (UCSF/Gladstone Institute), McManus was able to submit a highly collaborative, cutting-edge grant request that fosters creative innovation. These generous Keck funds will allow McManus and the immunology team to explore the inner secrets of microRNAs as they affect the immune system in the hopes of uncovering new breakthroughs in understanding for human disease. [more]

News & Notes

Landmark legislation in California supports school-age children with diabetes
Last week, a lawsuit filed by the American Diabetes Association and four Bay Area families was settled -- just in time for the start of the school year for an estimated 15,000 California kids with diabetes. Under the agreement, the California State Department of Education will require school districts statewide to assist students with their insulin and other related services. Since only 30% of schools have a nurse on site in California, this agreement allows trained school district employees to assist students if their special education plan calls for assistance. More information can be found on the ADA website. [more]

Is your diabetes being treated by rosiglitazone (Avandia®) or pioglitazone (Actos®)?
On August 14, the makers of Avandia® and Actos® agreed to add “black-box” warnings to alert users of the potential risk of heart failure for some patients. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) believes that these medications may cause or worsen heart failure and recommends that patients be closely monitored. The FDA hasn’t yet ruled on whether Avandia® also raises the risk of heart attack.

Clinical Trials

The Diabetes Center at UCSF is among the premier institutions for clinical trials of emerging therapies in diabetes. Numerous clinical trials in type 1 and 2 diabetes are now underway.

Interested in participating? A sample of our trials currently enrolling patients:

Nutritional Intervention to Prevent (NIP) Diabetes
Seeking pregnant women in their 3rd trimester and babies up to 5 months old if the baby has a relative with type 1 diabetes [more]

Oral Insulin for Prevention of Diabetes in Relatives at Risk for Type 1 Diabetes
&Seeking relatives of people with type 1 diabetes from age 3 to age 45 [more]

Islet Transplantation with Raptiva, for Type 1 Diabetes
Seeking volunteers 18 and older, with type 1 diabetes and weighing less than 175 lbs [more]

Effect of Chromium Therapy on Insulin Resistance
Seeking NON-DIABETICS, age 20 to 50, not exercising regularly and of normal body weight [more]

For more opportunities, visit the Clinical Trials section of our website, or contact Kathleen Fraser, our Clinical Trials Recruitment Coordinator at kfraser@diabetes.ucsf.edu.