Who can take part?

For the study we require fresh blood samples from type 1 diabetic patients, their affected siblings and other healthy volunteers. These samples will be used to isolate DNA in the search for new genes associated with type 1 diabetes and to sequence known candidate genes. It will also be used to phenotypically profile cell populations isolated from the blood, for the expression of cell-specific surface molecules, in order to determine ‘immunophenotypes’ so that we can look for correlations between specific genotypes and immunophenotypes in an attempt to gain a better understanding of what the genes do.

The study is fully anonymised and no test results are fed back to patients, their relatives or any control subjects.

If you would like to participate in our study and donate a blood sample for our research we would be very keen to hear from you, so please get in touch. Please bear in mind that in order to take part you will need to satisfy the study criteria definition of a case or a control. It will also be critical that we could get your blood sample to the lab for processing within three hours of collecting it so you would need to either be able to visit the Clinical Research Facility on the Addenbrooke's Hospital site in Cambridge to donate your sample (reasonable travel expenses will be refunded) or we could arrange to visit you to collect the sample if you live within a 25 mile radius of Cambridge.

Definition of cases

Cases for the study are type 1 diabetic patients under 30 years of age and diagnosed under the age of 25. All patients receive a patient information sheet explaining the nature and purpose of the study and need to provide written informed consent prior to donating their sample. All testing is undertaken in an anonymous fashion and volunteers may withdraw from the study at any time without giving a reason. Withdrawal from the study in no way affects patient’s current or future medical care.

Definition of controls

A control is a person without type 1 diabetes aged more than age 18 years and under the age of 30. As for cases, controls will be provided with information about the study and asked for informed consent prior to donating their sample.