News Releases

2013

Joslin Scientists Discover Mechanism That Regulates Production of Energy-Burning Brown Fat : BOSTON – March 21, 2013 – Joslin scientists have discovered a mechanism that regulates the production of brown fat, a type of fat which plays an important role in heat production and energy metabolism. The findings, which appear in the upcoming issue of Nature, may lead to new therapies that increase BAT formation to treat obesity.
Susan Bonner-Weir, Ph.D., Named American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow: Boston, MA – February 14, 2013 – Susan Bonner-Weir, Ph.D., Senior Investigator in the Section on Islet Cell & Regenerative Biology at the Joslin Diabetes Center and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Joslin Scientists Generate First Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Patients with Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young: BOSTON – January 31, 2013 – Joslin scientists report the first generation of human induced pluripotent stem cells from patients with an uncommon form of diabetes, maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY). These cells offer a powerful resource for studying the role of genetic factors in the development of MODY and testing potential treatments. The findings appear in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Joslin Researchers Identify Important Factor in Fat Storage and Energy Metabolism: BOSTON – January 8, 2013 -- As part of their ongoing research on the physiologic factors that contribute to the development of obesity, Joslin Diabetes Center scientists have identified a cell cycle transcriptional co-regulator – TRIP-Br2 – that plays a major role in energy metabolism and fat storage. This finding has the potential to lead to new treatments for obesity. The study is being published today ahead of print by Nature Medicine.

2012

Brown Adipose Tissue Has Beneficial Effects on Metabolism & Glucose Tolerance: BOSTON – December 10, 2012 – Joslin Diabetes Center scientists have demonstrated that brown adipose tissue (BAT) has beneficial effects on glucose tolerance, body weight and metabolism. The findings, which may lead to new treatments for diabetes, appear in the upcoming issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Joslin Researchers Increase Understanding of Genetic Risk Factor for Type 1 Diabetes: BOSTON – November 28, 2012 – As part of their ongoing research on the role of genes in the development of type 1 diabetes, Joslin Diabetes Center scientists, in collaboration with scientists at the University of Würzburg, have demonstrated how a genetic variant associated with type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases influences susceptibility to autoimmunity. The findings appear in the upcoming issue of Diabetes.
NIH Awards $9.5 Million Grant to Joslin Diabetes Center to Support Diabetes Research: BOSTON – October 3, 2012 - Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $9.5 million, multi-year Diabetes Research Center (DRC) grant from the National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Disorders (NIDDK) of the National Institute of Health (NIH). This marks the 26th year in which Joslin has been awarded the DRC grant.
Joslin Scientists Identify Molecular Process in Fat Cells That Influences Stress and Longevity: BOSTON – September 26, 2012 - As part of their ongoing research investigating the biology of aging, the greatest risk factor for type 2 diabetes and other serious diseases, scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have identified a new factor -- microRNA processing in fat tissue – which plays a major role in aging and stress resistance. This finding may lead to the development of treatments that increase stress resistance and longevity and improve metabolism. The findings appear in the September 5 online edition of Cell Metabolism.
Joslin Diabetes Center Announces Alliance with Mass Eye and Ear: BOSTON -- September 4, 2012 -- Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Joslin Diabetes Center announced today that they have reached agreement to form a clinical and research alliance, aimed toward providing coordinated high quality care to eye patients throughout greater Boston, especially those with or at-risk for diabetes-related eye disease.
Joslin Scientists Identify Biological Mechanisms That Affect Diabetic Nephropathy: BOSTON -- July 23, 2012 -- Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have identified biological mechanisms by which glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a gut hormone, protects against kidney disease, and also mechanisms that inhibit its actions in diabetes. The findings, which are reported today online by Diabetes, may lead to the development of new therapeutic agents that harness the actions of GLP-1 to prevent the harmful effects of hyperglycemia on renal endothelial cells.
Joslin Convenes Diabetes Innovation Conference: BOSTON -- July 18, 2012 -- The diabetes epidemic demands a powerful response from leaders in the diabetes community, nationally and globally. To this end, for the first time in its 114 year history, Joslin Diabetes Center, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School will convene all stakeholders for a groundbreaking, immersive activity over 3 days in September called Diabetes Innovation 2012 (September 23-25, 2012 at the Hyatt Crystal City in Arlington, VA).
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Joslin Diabetes Center Initiate A New Clinical Relationship: BOSTON -- July 2, 2012 -- Joslin Diabetes Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have entered into a collaboration between the two institutions to provide specialty care for people with diabetes, a significant and growing public health issue.
Study: Short-Term Intensive Weight Loss Program Works For Four Years: PHILADELPHIA -- June 12, 2012 -- A study by a team of clinicians and researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston has shown for the first time that patients with diabetes who enrolled in a short-term intensive weight management program were able to lose weight and keep it off on their own for four years. The findings suggest an alternative course to bariatric surgery in the fight against type 2 diabetes.
Joslin researchers find new cause of cardiac damage after heart attack in type 1 diabetes: Boston – June 13, 2012 -- After people with type 1 diabetes have a heart attack, their long-term chance of suffering even more heart damage skyrockets. But the reason has long puzzled scientists. Now researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center have identified the misstep that sparks this runaway chronic damage and a promising way to block it.
Joslin Researchers Find ‘Good Fat’ Activated by Cold, Not Ephedrine: BOSTON -- June 4, 2012 -- Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center have shown that while a type of “good” fat found in the body can be activated by cold temperatures, it is not able to be activated by the drug ephedrine.
Joslin Diabetes Center Receives $5 million Grant for Innovative Diabetes Project: BOSTON – May 9, 2012 – Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, Mass., has been awarded a $5 million 3-year grant from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to expand their “On the Road” program for community-based diabetes education, field testing, and risk assessment. Joslin Diabetes Center is the world’s largest diabetes research and care organization and is affiliated with Harvard Medical School.
C. Ronald Kahn, M.D. Receives Honorary Doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis: BOSTON – May 9, 2012 – Washington University in St. Louis will bestow a Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) on C. Ronald Kahn, MD, of Newton, MA, Chief Academic Officer at Joslin Diabetes Center. He will receive this high honor at the 151st Commencement ceremony on May 18, 2012, along with six other recipients.
Joslin researchers find unique physiology is key to diagnosing and treating diabetes in Asian populations: Boston — May 7, 2012 — As the diabetes epidemic spreads worldwide, there is growing concern for Asian American populations, who are nearly twice as likely to develop diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes. Compounding the problem, many of the standard ways to detect diabetes fail in people of Asian descent.
Joslin Scientists Identify Important Mechanism That Affects the Aging Process: BOSTON – May 1, 2012 – Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have identified a key mechanism of action for the TOR (target of rapamycin) protein kinase, a critical regulator of cell growth which plays a major role in illness and aging. This finding not only illuminates the physiology of aging but could lead to new treatments to increase lifespan and control age-related conditions, such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, and neurodegeneration.
George King, MD, Receives Harold Amos Diversity Award from Harvard Medical School: BOSTON – April 25, 2012 – George King, MD, has been awarded the 2012 Harold Amos Diversity Award by Harvard Medical School.
Joslin Partners with Ember Therapeutics to Develop Drug Treatment Approaches from “Brown Fat” Findings: BOSTON — March 28, 2012 — Joslin Diabetes Center and Ember Therapeutics, Inc. today announced an agreement aimed at utilizing “brown fat,” a type of fat that helps increase energy expenditure within the body, as a novel technique for managing obesity and diabetes. Joslin’s Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Ronald Kahn and other Joslin faculty, Drs. Yu-Hua Tseng and Aaron Cypess, have performed pioneering work in this field over the past several years, and were the first to show that a natural protein called BMP7 can help modulate the levels of brown fat.
Joslin Study Finds Excess Insulin Levels an Unlikely Cause of Atherosclerosis: Boston – March 22, 2012 – A number of studies have shown that excess insulin circulating in the bloodstream is a major independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, a new study from Joslin Diabetes Center finds that this condition, called hyperinsulinemia, is itself not a cause of atherosclerosis.
Sanjeev Mehta MD MPH is Director of Quality at Joslin Diabetes Center: BOSTON – March 12, 2012 – Sanjeev Mehta, MD, MPH, has been appointed Director of Quality at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Joslin is the largest diabetes research and clinical care institution in the world and an affiliate of the Harvard Medical School.
Rick Markello Appointed Chief Operating Officer: BOSTON – March 1, 2012 – Rick Markello, of Worcester, Massachusetts, has been appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Joslin is the largest diabetes research and clinical care center in the world and is a teaching affiliate of the Harvard Medical School.
C. Ronald Kahn, M. D., Appointed Chief Academic Officer: BOSTON – January 30, 2012 – C. Ronald Kahn, M.D., of Newton, Massachusetts, has been appointed Chief Academic Officer (CAO) of Joslin Diabetes Center, the world’s largest diabetes clinical care and research organization and an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.
Joslin Diabetes Center Awarded $5 Million from Massachusetts Life Sciences Center: BOSTON — January 25, 2012 — Joslin Diabetes Center has received a $5 million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. The grant, which was announced today, is among the highest amounts ever received to support diabetes research in Massachusetts.
Joslin Study Identifies Novel Markers as Key Indicators of Future Renal Failure in Diabetes: Boston, MA —January 19, 2012 —Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have identified two novel markers that, when elevated in the blood stream, can predict accurately the risk of renal (kidney) failure in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The findings have immediate diagnostic implications and can be used for the development of new therapies to prevent or postpone the progression of renal disease in diabetes.
Joslin Champions Diabetes Prevention: BOSTON (MA) — January 12, 2012 — In a statement released today by Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, physicians at the Harvard Medical School-affiliated research and clinical care center strongly disagreed with comments made recently by Richard Kahn, M.D., a former executive of the American Diabetes Association.
Study Finds Age-related Effects in MS may be Reversible: BOSTON – January 6, 2012 – Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard University, and the University of Cambridge have found that the age-related impairment of the body’s ability to replace protective myelin sheaths, which normally surround nerve fibers and allow them to send signals properly, may be reversible, offering new hope that therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring efficient regeneration can be effective in the central nervous system throughout life.

2011

Joslin Researchers Uncover Mechanism That Arrests Cell Death Protein During Embryonic Development: BOSTON, MA – December 28, 2011 - In a study published today in PLoS ONE, a team from Joslin Diabetes Center, headed by Mary R. Loeken, Ph. D., made a significant advance toward understanding the molecular mechanisms behind the elevated risk of birth defects among babies born to mothers with diabetes. They uncovered the mechanism by which Pax3, a protein whose production is reduced in embryos of diabetic mothers, functions and stops the activity of the cell-death protein p53.
Joslin Study Identifies the Cause of Diabetes Misdiagnosis among Asian Americans: BOSTON, MA – December 2, 2011 - Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center have determined key differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in the Asian American population. This study, published today in PLoS ONE, identified ways to differentiate the types of diabetes, which can be clinically similar in young Asian Americans.
Joslin Diabetes Center Awarded Full Funding for Research in CME Outcomes Methods: BOSTON - November 28, 2011 - Joslin Diabetes Center, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, has launched a landmark research initiative to establish accuracy and predictive value of current assessment methodologies for CME (Certified Continuing Medical Education) in order to inform ongoing efforts to improve diabetes care.
Unlocking the Genetic and Molecular Mystery of Soft-tissue Sarcoma: BOSTON - November 30, 2011 - Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston have uncovered important molecular and genetic keys to the development of soft-tissue sarcomas in skeletal muscle, giving researchers and clinicians additional targets to stop the growth of these often deadly tumors.
Joslin search for protective factors against diabetic retinopathy and kidney disease gets boost from NIDDK/NIH: BOSTON — October 27, 2011 — Joslin Diabetes Center has received a $3.9 million DP3 grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to identify protective factors that enable many Joslin 50-Year Medalists to remain free of commonly occurring diabetes complications.
Joslin Study Finds Clue to Birth Defects in Babies of Mothers with Diabetes: BOSTON – October 17, 2011 — In a paper published today in Diabetologia, a team at Joslin Diabetes Center, headed by Mary R. Loeken, PhD, has identified the enzyme AMP kinase (AMPK) as key to the molecular mechanism that significantly increases the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida and some heart defects among babies born to women with diabetes.
Joslin Researchers Identify Pathways Leading to Activation of ‘Good’ Fat: BOSTON – September 20, 2011 – Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have identified for the first time two molecular pathways that are critical to activating a type of “good” fat found in the body, a discovery that could play an important role in the fight against obesity and diabetes.
Medical School Dean Elected to Board of Joslin Diabetes Center: Peter S. Amenta, MD, PhD, dean of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the Joslin Diabetes Center for a three-year term. The center, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, is the world's largest diabetes clinic, diabetes research center and provider of diabetes education. Joslin is dedicated to ensuring that people with diabetes live long, healthy lives and to offering real hope and progress toward diabetes prevention and, ultimately, a cure.
Joslin Researchers Identify New Target for Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes: BOSTON -- Aug. 22, 2011 -- Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have shown that an enzyme found in the mitochondria of cells is decreased in the skeletal muscle of those with type 2 diabetes, a finding that could lead to the development of drugs to boost the activity of this enzyme in an effort to fight the disease.
“Good Fat” Most Prevalent in Thin Children: BOSTON (August 11, 2011) – Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center and Children’s Hospital Boston have shown that a type of “good” fat known as brown fat occurs in varying amounts in children – increasing until puberty and then declining -- and is most active in leaner children.
Joslin Diabetes Center Hosts Policy Summit on Diabetes Prevention and Launches New Diabetes Prevention Initiative: WASHINGTON (July 14, 2011) – Joslin Diabetes Center convened a national summit to explore methods to effectively prevent type 2 diabetes based on research results from the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a landmark, NIH-funded trial with economic and patient outcomes that have the potential to fundamentally transform care of patients at risk for diabetes.
New Link Found Between Obesity and Insulin Resistance: BOSTON – 2 August, 2011 – Obesity is the main culprit in the worldwide avalanche of type 2 diabetes. But how excess weight drives insulin resistance, the condition that may lead to the disease, is only partly understood. Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center now have uncovered a new way in which obesity wreaks its havoc, by altering the production of proteins that affect how other proteins are spliced together. Their finding, published in Cell Metabolism, may point toward novel targets for diabetes drugs.
Dietary Leucine May Fight Prediabetes, Metabolic Syndrome: BOSTON -- June 22, 2011 -- A study led by researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center suggests that adding the amino acid leucine to their diets may help those with pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
Tale of Two Mice Pinpoints Major Factor for Insulin Resistance: BOSTON – May 16, 2011 – The road to type 2 diabetes is paved with insulin resistance, a condition often associated with obesity in which the hormone begins to fail at its job helping to convert sugars to energy. Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center have now identified an enzyme called PKC-delta as an important molecular modifier for development of insulin resistance, diabetes and fatty liver in mice. They also have found evidence suggesting a similar role for the enzyme in humans, making PKC-delta a promising new target for drugs for diabetes and related ailments.
Joslin Diabetes Center Names John Brooks as President and Chief Executive: BOSTON - March 31, 2011 - Joslin Diabetes Center has appointed John L. Brooks III, a well-known leader in the life sciences industry, as President and Chief Executive Officer.
Trigger Found for Autoimmune Heart Attacks: BOSTON – March 23, 2011 – People with type 1 diabetes, whose insulin-producing cells have been destroyed by the body’s own immune system, are particularly vulnerable to a form of inflammatory heart disease (myocarditis) caused by a different autoimmune reaction. Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have revealed the exact target of this other onslaught, taking a large step toward potential diagnostic and therapeutic tools for the heart condition.
RETAIN Trial for Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes Enrolls Patients: BOSTON and SEATTLE – March 2, 2011 – The Immune Tolerance Network (ITN) has enrolled the first participant in a two-part, phase II clinical research trial evaluating the effect of intravenous alpha 1-antitrypsin (AAT) on preserving the function of insulin-producing cells in patients recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. ARALAST NP is one marketed formulation of AAT. The Research Trial of ARALAST NP in New-onset Type 1 Diabetes (RETAIN) is seeking 82 eligible participants at 15 clinical research centers across the U.S. The first participant was enrolled at Emory University/Children’s Hospital of Atlanta.
Joslin Launches Initiative to Resolve the Critical Link Connecting CME to Sustained Quality Improvement: BOSTON – March 2, 2011 – Joslin Diabetes Center has launched a groundbreaking initiative for primary care physicians to improve diabetes care. Joslin, with technology from Forward Health Group, Inc., is providing qualifying primary care practices in the United States with the critical capability to extract usefulness out of existing clinical data at the individual patient level, and to combine this information with practice improvement support and education. The initiative is supported via independent continuing medical education (CME) grant funding provided by GlaxoSmithKline and Merck & Co.
People at Risk of Diabetes Offer Clues Toward Novel Drugs: BOSTON – February 14, 2011 – Once people develop type 2 diabetes, high blood glucose levels alter their metabolism so much that it becomes difficult to sift through all the clues to find what might enable the disease. “To identify factors that play a primary role in disease susceptibility, we want to investigate people before they get to that point,” says Mary-Elizabeth Patti, M.D. of Joslin Diabetes Center. By examining people across the spectrum of diabetes—from healthy to the full-blown disease—scientists in her lab have found a molecular pathway that offers novel targets for drugs.
Joslin’s Latino Diabetes Initiative Unveils Enhanced Website: BOSTON – February 14, 2011 – Latinos are twice as likely to develop diabetes as Caucasians, and half the Latinos born in the United States in this century are expected to get the disease. Helping to meet this challenge, Joslin Diabetes Center’s Latino Diabetes Initiative—a comprehensive effort that combines clinical care, patient education, community outreach, research and healthcare team education—has upgraded its website with additional resources for Latinos with diabetes and their families in both English and Spanish.
Culprit Found for Increased Stroke Injury with Diabetes: BOSTON – January 23, 2011 – Strokes that involve intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) are especially deadly, and there are no effective treatments to control such bleeding. Moreover, diabetes and hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels) are associated with increases in bleeding during hemorrhagic stroke and worse clinical outcomes. But Joslin Diabetes Center researchers now have identified one key player that contributes to this increased bleeding, a discovery that may pave the way toward treatments that minimize adverse stroke outcomes.

2010

Joslin, Kuwait’s Dasman Institute Forge Strategic Alliance: BOSTON – December 21, 2010 – Joslin Diabetes Center and two other Harvard Medical School affiliates have launched a five-year strategic alliance with the Dasman Diabetes Institute for establishing a comprehensive and innovative program for diabetes care, management and research across Kuwait.
Beatson Foundation Gift Kicks Off Joslin WebCare Project for Managing Diabetes: BOSTON – December 21, 2010 – Under a transformative $3.2 million donation from the Thomas J. Beatson, Jr. Foundation, Joslin Diabetes Center is taking the first major steps in creating Joslin WebCare, an ambitious project to bolster diabetes patient care and education through next-generation web services. The major gift also will underpin initiatives in caring for children with diabetes and for research aimed to guard against eye disease and other diabetes complications.
Study Identifies Cells that Give Rise to Brown Fat: BOSTON – December 20, 2010 – In some adults, the white fat cells that we all stockpile so readily are supplemented by a very different form of fat—brown fat cells, which can offer the neat trick of burning energy rather than storing it. Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center, which last year led the way in demonstrating an active role for brown fat in adults, now have identified progenitor cells in mouse white fat tissue and skeletal muscle that can be transformed into brown fat cells.
Joslin, Hallmark Health Sign Affiliation Agreement: BOSTON – Dec. 20, 2010 — In response to the epidemic of diabetes in Massachusetts, Hallmark Health System, the leading provider of vital health services north of Boston, has joined forces with the Joslin Diabetes Center, the world’s preeminent diabetes research and clinical care organization.
Joslin, AstraZeneca Collaborate to Advance the Study and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes: BOSTON – December 7, 2010 – Joslin Diabetes Center and AstraZeneca today announced they have signed a research collaboration using stem cells to generate novel research tools and methods to facilitate further understanding of the underlying causes of type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes May Clamp Down on Brain Cholesterol: BOSTON – November 30, 2010 – The brain contains more cholesterol than any other organ in the body, has to produce its own cholesterol and won’t function normally if it doesn’t churn out enough. Defects in cholesterol metabolism have been linked with Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. Now researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center have discovered that diabetes can affect how much cholesterol the brain can make.
Amy Wagers Receives Presidential Early Career Award: BOSTON – November 8, 2010 – Amy Wagers, Ph.D., a Principal Investigator at Joslin Diabetes Center and Associate Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard Medical School, has been given a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. This is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.
Million-Dollar Gift Boosts Joslin Treatment for Children with Diabetes: BOSTON – November 4, 2010 – Joslin Diabetes Center has received a $1 million gift that will broaden full access to pediatric clinical services for children with diabetes and their families. Given by the Thomas J. Beatson, Jr. Foundation, the donation will offer major support for the Joslin Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adult Clinic’s care ambassador program.
Joslin Diabetes Center, SETMA Announce Affiliation: BOSTON – November 1, 2010 – Joslin Diabetes Center, the world’s preeminent diabetes research and clinical care organization, has announced an affiliation with Southeast Texas Medical Associates (SETMA), LLP, in Beaumont, Texas. The Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at SETMA will offer some of the latest advances for treating diabetes and its complications as well as patient education and support services.
Joslin’s Asian American Diabetes Initiative Builds National Clearinghouse for Information: BOSTON, Mass. – September 8, 2010 – The Asian American Diabetes Initiative (AADI) at Joslin Diabetes Center has unveiled exciting additions to its web site, http://aadi.joslin.org, offering innovative, interactive and culturally relevant tools for Asian Americans who live with diabetes and their healthcare providers.
Joslin Physicians Hope to Teach Old Drug New Tricks: BOSTON, Mass. – September 7, 2010 – An anti-inflammatory drug called salsalate, commonly given for arthritis pain, is being tested here to determine whether it can also help prevent cardiac disease. Steven Shoelson, M.D., Ph.D., and Allison Goldfine, M.D., who are affiliated with Joslin Diabetes Center and Harvard Medical School, are teaming up in translational research efforts taking laboratory observations into clinical study.
Barton Center for Diabetes Education Purchases Camp Joslin: OXFORD, Mass., August 31, 2010 – The Barton Center for Diabetes Education, Inc. and Joslin Diabetes Center announce today that The Barton Center has purchased Camp Joslin, a camp for boys and young men with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes. The Barton Center, which operates the nearby Clara Barton Camp for girls and young women with type 1 diabetes, will undertake a capital campaign to pay for improvements to Camp Joslin. The majority of the funds for the purchase came through an unrestricted grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
Study of Joslin Medalists Wins Beatson Challenge in Type 1 Diabetes Research: BOSTON – August 12, 2010 – Two years ago, philanthropist Thomas J. Beatson, Jr. asked four Joslin Diabetes Center scientists to present him with compelling proposals for research on type 1 diabetes. Inspired by all four, in January 2009 he decided to help fund each, splitting a $1-million gift evenly between the four labs. An avid cyclist who has cycled more than 100,000 miles, Beatson added a rider to his gift: The first funded researcher to publish a paper with a significant outcome in a peer-reviewed journal would win the Beatson Challenge—and a special yellow cycling jersey. This week Hillary Keenan, Ph.D., a Joslin research associate, and her colleagues grabbed the jersey.
Ultimate Diabetes Survivors, the Joslin 50-Year Medalists, Give Clues to Cures: BOSTON, Mass. – August 11, 2010 – In type 1 diabetes, the body relentlessly attacks and destroys its own insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. But a study by Joslin Diabetes Center scientists now has firmly established that some of these cells endure for many decades in a small group of people with the disease—offering clues to potential treatments for preserving and even restoring the crucial cell population.
Joslin Diabetes Center, Cypress Fairbanks Announce Affiliation: BOSTON, Mass. – August 9, 2010 – Joslin Diabetes Center, the world’s preeminent diabetes research and clinical care organization, has announced an affiliation with Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital in northwest Houston. The Joslin Diabetes Center Affiliate at Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital will offer some of the latest advances for treating diabetes and its complications as well as patient education and support services.
Joslin Announces Opportunity to Win Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang: BOSTON, Mass. – July 20, 2010 – The Mustang, the car that "changed everything" in the automotive industry, will now contribute to finding a cure for diabetes. Joslin Diabetes Center is raffling off a special edition of the famous "muscle" car – the Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang. Only 45 of the limited edition Mustangs were made last year to honor the anniversary of the classic car’s introduction at the 1964 World’s Fair.
Dr. Lloyd Paul Aiello Receives Wasserman Award from Research to Prevent Blindness: BOSTON, Mass. – July 8, 2010 – Lloyd Paul Aiello, M.D., Ph.D., of the Department of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School has been granted a $60,000 RPB Lew R. Wasserman Merit Award by Research to Prevent Blindness.
Joslin Shows Transplanted Beta Cells Learn to Deal with Stress: BOSTON, Mass. - July 2, 2010 - For transplanted beta cells, life is tough. Not only are the insulin-producing cells in a stranger’s body, tucked into the liver rather than the pancreas, they are a bit short on oxygen and blood, and they are often exposed to raised levels of glucose. Joslin Diabetes Center scientists, however, have shown that the cells can protect themselves by actively adapting to their new homes—findings that may help to aid future transplants aimed at treating type 1 diabetes.
The Trouble with Tribbles in Diabetes: BOSTON, Mass. – July 1, 2010 – Named for the furballs whose astonishing fecundity made them stars in early Star Trek episodes, the tribbles protein, first identified in fruit flies, aids in regulating many cell processes in humans. Joslin Diabetes Center researchers now have identified mechanisms triggered by a variant of the tribbles gene that cause trouble in insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells—and that offer a promising target for therapies for people with type 2 diabetes, even if they don’t carry that gene variant.
Joslin Diabetes Center in National Diabetes Trial Showing Sensor-Augmented Pump Therapy Achieves Better Control than Daily Injections: BOSTON, Mass. – June 29, 2010 – Clinical research conducted at 30 trial sites in the U.S. and Canada, including Joslin Diabetes Center, showed adult and pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes achieved better blood glucose control by using a sensor-augmented insulin pump compared to multiple daily insulin injections.
Joslin Diabetes Center Expands Pediatric Clinic: BOSTON, Mass. – June 23, 2010 – Joslin Diabetes Center is opening an expanded version of its pediatric clinic, with enhancements that allow more optimal multi-disciplinary care for children, teens and young adults with diabetes and their families.
Facebook Game Helps People with Diabetes Improve Everyday Behaviors: BERKELEY, Calif., and BOSTON, Mass. -- June 14, 2010 -- A new game called HealthSeeker(tm) launched today on Facebook(r), with the goal of helping players make specific lifestyle changes that focus on healthy eating. While the benefits of the game are available to anyone, HealthSeeker specifically helps people with diabetes make more informed lifestyle decisions in an innovative way that complements their daily use of social media.
Joslin Diabetes Center Names John Brooks Chairman of the Board: BOSTON, Mass. – May 14, 2010 – John L. Brooks III has been named Chairman of Joslin Diabetes Center’s Board of Trustees. He replaces Kevin E. Conley, President and CEO of Conley Search Group, who is stepping down after six years as Chairman.
Kuwait’s Dasman Institute Signs Agreement with Joslin Diabetes Center: BOSTON, Mass. – May 5, 2010 – Joslin Diabetes Center has signed a pre-implementation agreement with the Dasman Institute for the Research, Training and Prevention of Diabetes and Related Disorders for establishing a comprehensive program for diabetes care, management and research across Kuwait. The parties, already working on needs assessment and planning for the program, expect to execute a five-year agreement in September.
Joslin Research Shows Insulin Guards Against Artery Damage: BOSTON, Mass. – May 4, 2010 – Long suspected of worsening artery damage in patients with diabetes, insulin instead protects blood vessels, a new study by Joslin Diabetes Center scientists indicates.
Comparative-Effectiveness Study Confirms New Treatment for Diabetic Macular Edema: BOSTON, Mass. – April 27, 2010 – Researchers have shown that ranibizumab (Lucentis) eye injections, often in combination with laser treatment, result in better vision than laser treatment alone for diabetes-associated swelling of the retina.
Key Protein Links Insulin Action and Insulin Resistance in Diabetes: BOSTON, Mass. – March 28, 2010 - Biologists have long known that an enzyme called the PI 3-kinase is a crucial actor in the main molecular pathway for insulin signaling in cells. Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center now have uncovered startling evidence that one of the proteins in this enzyme also drives a pathway with an opposite result—triggering a stress response that leads to insulin resistance.
Joslin, AtlantiCare Announce Affiliation : BOSTON, Mass. – March 23, 2010 – Joslin Diabetes Center, the world’s preeminent diabetes research and clinical care organization, has announced an affiliation with AtlantiCare, a regional healthcare organization based in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey.
Generic Drug for Type 2 Diabetes Passes Next Clinical Hurdle: BOSTON, Mass. – March 16, 2010 – Clinical studies of a generic drug called salsalate, widely prescribed for arthritis, now provide promising early results that it may be useful for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes as well. Salsalate is an atypical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent that is chemically similar to aspirin but a bit easier on the stomach. In a three-month trial of people with type 2 diabetes that was led by Joslin Diabetes Center researchers, those who took the drug showed significantly improved blood glucose levels.
Clinical Trial Compares Leading-Edge Treatments for Obesity and Diabetes: BOSTON, Mass. – February 25, 2010 – Obesity is a major contributing factor to type 2 diabetes, a disease affecting more than 20 million people in the United States. For those who are overweight and have type 2 diabetes, weight loss lowers blood sugar levels and leads to improved health and better quality of life. However, it is difficult to lose weight and keep it off.
Joslin Study Finds Insulin Regulates Beta Cell Function in Healthy Humans : BOSTON, Mass. – February 15, 2010 – In type 2 diabetes, which is occurring at alarming rates, the hormone insulin does not work effectively to lower blood sugars and patients also do not make enough insulin. These two processes have been widely considered as separate. However, a surprising discovery was made by Joslin Diabetes Center researchers in animal models of diabetes: insulin is important in regulating its own production. Confirming this discovery, Joslin clinical scientists have now gone on to show that when blood sugar levels rise in healthy people, insulin signals the cells that make insulin to increase their production.
Beta cells need key protein to divide and conquer diabetes: BOSTON, Mass. – January 26, 2010 – In people who put on a lot of weight, or whose bodies start developing the inability to use insulin effectively that leads toward type 2 diabetes, the pancreas typically ramps up its supply of insulin-generating “beta” cells—at least in part by replication of existing beta cells. Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center and their colleagues now have identified a cell-cycle protein that is essential for beta-cell replication to respond successfully to insulin resistance. The finding may point toward eventual therapies for preventing or treating type 2 diabetes.
Joslin Diabetes Center and dLife form new online partnership: BOSTON – January 26, 2010 – joslin.org, the Internet site for Harvard-affiliated Joslin Diabetes Center, the world’s preeminent diabetes research and clinical care organization, and dLife.com, the leading online community for people living with diabetes, today announced a new online partnership. dLife will host a resource page on its web site featuring the clinical and research information from Joslin. Joslin will host on its website food and cooking videos from dLife’s award-winning TV show dLifeTV as well as links to relevant information on dLife.com.

Page last updated: March 21, 2013