In the latest episode of the podcast, Anette-Gabriele Ziegler explains how research is advancing the early detection and prevention of type 1 diabetes. The focus is on innovative approaches that are being investigated in the AVAnT1a and Fr1da studies, among others. The AVAnT1A study - short for “Antiviral Action against Type 1 diabetes Autoimmunity” - is investigating whether a vaccination against COVID-19 at the age of six months can prevent the development of islet autoantibodies and thus type 1 diabetes. The Fr1da study uses a few drops of blood to investigate whether a child has an early stage of type 1 diabetes.

Prof. Dr. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler is Director of the Institute of Diabetes Research (IDF) at Helmholtz Zentrum München, DZD scientist, Professor of Diabetes and Gestational Diabetes at TU Munich and has been a renowned researcher in the field of type 1 diabetes for decades. Together with her team, she is working on concepts to identify risk factors for type 1 diabetes, detect the onset of the autoimmune disease as early as possible and delay it with special immunotherapies. Another aim is to prevent the autoimmune reaction from the outset so that type 1 diabetes does not break out in the first place.

Link to the podcast-episode: Detecting type 1 diabetes earlier and even stopping it - is that possible, Prof. Ziegler? (in German)