Inside Pediatrics Spring/Summer 2026

DIVISION ROUNDS

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ENDOCRINOLOGY

A Look at the Future of Type 1 Diabetes Management

A journal supplement co-edited by Ambika P. Ashraf, M.D., director of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, takes a look at different ways to approach the management of type 1 diabetes (T1D), some of which could slow, stop, or even prevent the disease.

The supplement, which appeared in Frontiers in

Endocrinology, was published as a collection of 14 peer-reviewed research articles on T1D. It brings together researchers from around the world and addresses immune modulation, beta-cell preservation, remission, screening, gene editing, stem cell therapies, and metabolic memory. Two articles are authored by researchers at Children’s of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The supplement focuses on three questions: Can we slow or stop the immune destruction of beta cells? Can we preserve insulin production? Can we delay or prevent the onset of symptomatic type 1 diabetes? Another theme in the supplement is screening for antibodies that predict type 1 diabetes risk before symptoms appear, which opens the door to interventions when they are most beneficial.

Several articles in the collection explore therapies that support beta cell health without suppressing the immune system but by strengthening the cells themselves. These include medications such as verapamil, experimental TXNIP targeting drugs, and high dose GABA, all of which aim to help insulin producing cells survive longer. Perhaps the most important message of the supplement is that there likely will not be a one-size-fits-all approach for people with T1D, but a mix of options based on the individual patient. As Ashraf and her co-editors wrote in an editorial in the issue: “The innovative concepts highlighted here will undoubtedly shape the future of diabetology and inspire further research into state- of-the-art, disease-modifying therapies for T1D.”

DIVISION ROUNDS is a brief roundup of the innovative work Children’s of Alabama’s medical experts are doing in various divisions around the hospital. It showcases how we’re improving patient care and influencing the world of medicine. For more details and to find similar stories, please visit InsidePeds.org .

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