NEWS
Royal visit to Addenbrooke's Hospital where an 'artificial pancreas'
solution is being developed.
Royal visit for diabetes tech
Her Royal Highness The
Duchess of Cornwall
visited Addenbrooke's
Hospital to see the
world-leading Type
1 diabetes technology being developed
there by Professor Roman Hovorka of the
University of Cambridge.
The Duchess, who has been President
of the Type 1 diabetes charity JDRF for
the last five years, during which time she
has met many individuals and families
affected by type 1 diabetes, as well as
the scientists and researchers working
to cure, treat and prevent the condition
supported by JDRF. She previously met
Professor Hovorka when she visited
Addenbrooke's in 2012. Hovorka has
been developing an 'artificial pancreas'
since 2006 with research funded by
JDRF and NIHR at the NIHR Cambridge
Biomedical Research Centre*.
The artificial pancreas is now in
advanced human trials after being found
to be better at helping people with Type
1 diabetes manage their blood glucose
levels by keeping them in range 65% of
time, compared with 54% of the time
without the technology. A prototype of
what is being referred to as an 'artificial
pancreas' is currently being trialled across
six centres in the UK including the NIHR
Cambridge Clinical Research Facility.
In attendance at the event was Sky
News presenter and JDRF supporter,
Stephen Dixon who was diagnosed
with Type 1 when he was 17. He
was accompanied by JDRF Youth
Ambassadors George Dove and Amy
Wilton who also met Her Royal Highness
when she visited Addenbrooke's in
February 2012. The Duchess was
handed a posy of flowers by George
Vinnicombe aged seven, and his sister
Ava, aged five. George was diagnosed
with Type 1 diabetes when he was six
months old and spent a considerable
time in intensive care.
*Cambridge University Hospitals NHS
Foundation Trust (CUH) is a leading national
centre for specialist treatment for rare or
complex conditions and a university teaching
hospital with a worldwide reputation. Based
within the most outstanding NHS and
University partnerships in the country, the
Biomedical Research Centres are leaders
in scientific translation. Located on the
Cambridge Biomedical Campus, they
receive substantial levels of funding from
the National Institute for Health Research
(NIHR) to translate fundamental biomedical
research into clinical research that benefits
patients and they are early adopters of new
treatments. The National Institute for Health
Research (NIHR) is dedicated to improving
the health and wealth of the nation through
research. www.nihr.ac.uk
JDRF is the leading global organisation
funding type 1 diabetes research.
www.jdrf.org.uk