Professor Claire Meek at the University of Leicester is leading one of five global research projects receiving part of £1.5 million funding from JDRF and the Helmsley Charitable Trust to access a unique database which could help prevent type 1 diabetes.
Professor Meek is partnering with the Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) Study. Pioneering in its approach, this study monitors close relatives of people with Type 1 diabetes, beginning when they are still in the womb, to investigate the intricate relationship between environmental factors and an individual’s genes. The primary goal is to unravel the role these factors play in initiating and influencing the development of Type 1 diabetes.
ENDIA has collected over 200,000 unique biological samples – such as blood, immune cells, breast milk, nasal swabs, stool, and urine samples – along with 16 million medical observations from 1500 people with a parent or sibling diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
JDRF and Helmsley have supported ENDIA since 2015.
