July 2026 Research Spotlight: Five Advances Reshaping Type 1 Diabetes Care

When Type 1 diabetes and end-stage kidney disease occur together, simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplantation has been the gold standard—but many patients are too medically fragile for surgery. A North American transplant center recently reported results from an alternative: simultaneous islet-kidney (SIK) transplantation, which combines kidney transplant surgery with a less invasive infusion of insulin-producing islet cells.

Between July 2022 and April 2025, 13 patients with Type 1 diabetes and kidney failure underwent SIK after being rejected for SPK, mostly because of blood vessel disease. All 13 patients and their kidney grafts survived follow-up ranging from 4 to 33 months. Kidney function remained stable, and six months after the last islet infusion, 12 of the 13 patients showed detectable C-peptide—a sign that transplanted islet cells were working.

Eight patients (61.5%) achieved insulin independence. Among those still needing insulin, 90% kept their hemoglobin A1c below 7% and reduced insulin needs by 75%. The procedure caused three cases of bleeding after infusion but no severe hypoglycemic episodes. These results suggest SIK is a durable option for patients ineligible for traditional pancreas transplants, offering real metabolic benefit even when insulin independence isn't achieved.

Numeracy—the ability to understand and use numbers in daily life—plays an underappreciated role in diabetes management. Low numeracy has been linked to poor outcomes in adults with diabetes, but the teenage experience has been little studied. A recent pilot project explored whether a video game intervention could help adolescents build diabetes-related numeracy skills.

Researchers created a video game designed around diabetes math—concepts like carbohydrate counting, insulin-to-carb ratios, and blood sugar targets. Forty-two adolescents ages 13–18 played the game across three sessions. Before and after, researchers measured diabetes numeracy using the Adolescent Diabetes Numeracy Test (aDNT14) and also assessed general numeracy and health literacy.

At baseline, higher diabetes numeracy scores were significantly linked to better A1c levels. While the full results are still being analyzed, this pilot demonstrates that video games may offer a promising, engaging way to build the numerical reasoning skills that help teens manage their insulin, food, and targets more effectively.

A cross-sectional study of 206 children with Type 1 diabetes in Northwest Ethiopia identified striking links between family structure and glycemic control. Overall, 75.7% of children had poor glycemic control, but the rates varied dramatically based on who was managing their care.

Children whose primary caregiver was widowed were 11 times more likely to have poor glycemic control than children with married caregivers. Similarly, children whose father was the primary caregiver were 8 times more likely to have poor control than those whose mother was primary. These findings underscore the role of caregiver stress, capacity, and possibly knowledge in shaping daily diabetes management outcomes.

The results highlight that effective Type 1 diabetes care in children depends not only on individual adherence but on the stability and resources of the family system. Support programs may need to account for caregiver circumstances and offer targeted help to families facing particular challenges.

Insulin injection is a lifelong necessity for people with Type 1 diabetes, yet the link between how injections are done and skin complications has rarely been studied in children. A new observational study, enrolling 199 children with Type 1 diabetes from July 2026 through June 2027, will examine how caregiver injection behavior and subcutaneous fat thickness affect skin problems like lipohypertrophy (thickened tissue at injection sites).

The study will use questionnaires to capture injection practices and ultrasound imaging to measure fat thickness at eight body sites—abdomen, buttocks, arms, and thighs. By correlating technique with physical findings, researchers aim to clarify which injection habits best protect skin health over time. Results may inform guidance for families and clinicians seeking to reduce long-term injection-related complications.

Origin: YouTube / This Month in Type 1 Diabetes Research (Video report). Evidence: Video report, corroborated with 4 indexed studies. Type1Cure is an information and intelligence hub, not a medical advice service. This article summarizes published research and does not provide diagnosis, treatment, or personal medical guidance. Always talk to your own care team before changing anything about your Type 1 diabetes management.