A GROUP of Diabetes UK charity supporters have attended a special tour of a diabetes research laboratory at the University of Manchester.

The group, many who live with diabetes themselves, met with top scientist Dr Rachel Jennings and saw her ground-breaking research, funded by Diabetes UK, in action.

Dr Jennings’ work is just one of over 130 research projects the charity is currently supporting.

She is studying how genetic changes disrupt the development of the pancreas – the organ which controls blood sugar levels – in the womb.

These insights will give fresh understanding of the genetic roots of type 2 diabetes and its origins at the very earliest stages of life.

In the future, this knowledge could open doors to new ways of preventing and treating type 2 diabetes – a condition that affects almost one million people in the North of England.

Among those on the tour was Peter Wood who chairs the St Helens support group for people living with diabetes.

He said: “It was a great experience to be on the tour and a fascinating to hear directly from the researchers about the important work they’re doing.”

   People with type 2 diabetes don’t produce enough insulin or the insulin they produce doesn’t work properly. Around 90 per cent of people with diabetes have type 2. They might get type 2 diabetes because family history, age and ethnic background puts them at increased risk.

People with type 1 diabetes cannot produce insulin. About 8 per cent of people with diabetes have type 1. No one knows exactly what causes it, but a family history of type 1 increases the risk of developing it.

Diabetes UK has also supported cutting-edge research at the University of Manchester to revolutionise how people with type 1 diabetes manage their condition, by innovating diabetes technologies and exploring ways to transplant donor insulin-making cells, to replace those that have been destroyed in people with type 1.

During the tour, supporters became fully immersed in the lab environment, seeing the full range of exciting research their support makes possible and even putting some of the experimental techniques to the test themselves. Dr Jennings said: “During the tour, people were able to experience preparing tissue slides for experiments to looking down a microscope at developing insulin-making cells, to seeing experiments focused on transplanting these cells. Visitors also learned about exciting diabetes technology being developed in Manchester.”

“It was a pleasure to meet some of Diabetes UK’s fantastic volunteers and fundraisers – without them we couldn’t do what we do.”

Clare Howarth, Head of the North region commented: “So much wonderful research funded by Diabetes UK is going on across the North of England, and it was kind of Dr Jennings to share her team’s work with our supporters and volunteers. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to see the important strides we are making towards a world where diabetes can do no harm, and how their support is making a difference.”

Diabetes UK is the UK’s leading charitable funder of diabetes research. They have been investing in life-changing research for over 85 years and currently invest around £40million into research, to improve diabetes treatments and care, and make discoveries that bring us closer to a cure.