Diabetes Research Institute Foundation

The Diabetes Research Institute is a recognized world leader in cure-focused research, committed to bringing promising discoveries from the lab to patients in the fastest way possible.

Why do we exist?

The Diabetes Research Institute was founded in 1971 by a small group of parents of children with diabetes who were committed to finding a cure for this devastating disease.  Driven by hope and fueled by the need to end their children’s suffering, they banded together to support a promising research program at the University of Miami solely aimed at curing those living with diabetes.

Throughout its 30-year history, the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation has helped make research progress possible.  Supported by private philanthropy, the Foundation has enabled DRI scientists to think freely, pursue innovative ideas and turn new discoveries into real breakthroughs for patients – breakthroughs that are just beginning to change the lives of millions of children and adults affected by diabetes.

Today, the Diabetes Research Institute is a recognized world leader in cure-focused research. Pioneering new technologies in islet cell transplantation and other cell-based therapies since the early 1970’s, the DRI has successfully reversed diabetes in patients involved in ongoing clinical trials. The Institute’s research is now directed at improving transplant processes and developing new biomedical technologies and cell-based therapies to restore insulin production.

To build on its achievements and accelerate progress, the Institute serves as a global resource and training center for investigators working in islet cell research.  The most comprehensive diabetes research facility of its kind, the DRI conducts a broad range of scientific programs focused on the rapidly evolving fields of pancreatic stem cell development, transplant immunology, molecular biology, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, among others, to speed the most promising findings from the lab to the patient.

For the millions of families already affected by diabetes and who are looking to the world of science for answers, the Diabetes Research Institute is the best hope for a cure.

What have you accomplished?

Almost three decades ago, the Diabetes Research Institute determined that islet cell transplantation offered great hope for curing diabetes. Today, DRI researchers have turned that hope into reality for a number of patients who no longer require insulin injections after receiving an islet cell transplant as part of the ongoing clinical trials at the Institute.

Since the age of 14, Diane Gilletti lived with what she refers to as “brittle diabetes,” suffering multiple complications and always struggling to gain control over her blood sugar. Staying healthy was a tall order for Diane. At 19, she agonized over the possibility of going blind, as retinopathy progressively damaged her eyes. Though multiple laser surgeries saved her vision, the complications continued. Her body was extremely sensitive to insulin, and she lived in constant fear of a hypoglycemic reaction. “For about four years, I lived alone. That was the time I was most scared,” she explained, recalling one nearly fatal experience. “It was the middle of the night, I was all alone, and I went into full convulsions.”  When Diane regained awareness, she felt lucky to have survived, and wondered what might happen the next time. Severe hypoglycemic reactions happened more frequently as she got older, occurring every couple of months. Her husband, Nick, would watch over her as she slept, constantly checking for signs of low blood sugar. If not for him, Diane insists that she wouldn’t even be alive.  Eventually, her kidneys started to lose function, and after a bout with a virus, they shut down completely. “I went on dialysis, and that was a huge blow,” she said solemnly. In 1997, Diane received a kidney transplant, but her diabetes did not improve, and all she could think was, “What else can go wrong?”

Then, Diane discovered the Diabetes Research Institute, and her life changed. She spoke with the Institute’s clinical islet transplantation team, who determined she was a perfect candidate for an islet transplant. Diane received her first infusion of cells February 2004.  “I was so excited.  I was walking on air.” Though she needed small amounts of insulin following the first transplant, Diane had never felt better.  She received a second transplant in May of 2004, and she is now insulin-free.  “I just think how fortunate I am. I feel fabulous. I have endless energy and a freedom I never felt before. I have so much self-confidence – and no more fear. I used to spend each day surviving; now I spend each day living.”

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