ENDIA

Australia's largest study into the cause of type 1 diabetes. Recruitment to the study is now complete. Find out more at www.endia.org.au and Harry B.

Recruitment to the ENDIA Study has closed. The ENDIA (Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity) study is looking into what contributes to the development of Type 1 Diabetes in early childhood. Type 1 Diabetes in children is twice as common as it was 20 years ago. This is because our environment has changed and at-risk children are more likely to develop Type 1 Diabetes. If we can understand exactly what in the environment is harmful or protective, we can develop strategies to prevent Type 1 Diabetes. We believe that children are exposed to these environmental triggers very early in life, perhaps even before they are born. Accordingly, the ENDIA study has recruited 1511 participants across Australia from the pregnancy or up to 6 months of age that have a first-degree relative (i.e. baby's Mum, Dad or older sibling) with Type 1 Diabetes. ENDIA is an observational investigation and does not involve any study medications or treatments. Further information is available on the ENDIA website at www.endia.org.au. This research has been supported by JDRF Australia, JDRF-I, Australian Research Council Special Research Initiative in Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes and the Leona M. Helmsley Charitable Trust. Please note, comments and opinions made by others are not necessarily endorsed by the ENDIA Study Team. All content posted by the ENDIA Team has had ethical approval for public view. Thanks for your interest in finding the causes of Type 1 Diabetes!

26/10/2025

For Sebastian’s final ENDIA Study visit, nurse Helen, Mum and Dad, set up a home visit for him! Ten years of contributing to research is an occasion worth marking!

Well done, and thank you, Sebastian. You’re a hero in our eyes.

ENDIA recommends continued screening through Type1Screen because although the risk of developing the early markers of reduces over time, it doesn't completely go away. For more information or to register, go to www.type1screen.org

23/10/2025

🧸📊 What can CGM tell us about the early stages of type 1 diabetes in young children?
In the ENDIA Study, 36 children (median age 4.5 years) with multiple (early markers indicating development) were followed with blinded every 3–6 months.

🔍 What did we find?
• CGM was feasible and well-tolerated, even in very young
• There was high in glucose patterns within each child over time
• More than half of CGM readings that showed elevated glucose ( >140 mg/dL for >10% of the time) were flagged again at the next visit

💡 Why it matters:
These findings show CGM can be a helpful early tool in tracking glycaemic changes before clinical diabetes. However, we still need to learn how best to interpret these patterns in very young children.

Further research is needed to determine whether variability in CGM metrics reflects true changes in early-stage type 1 diabetes progression or individual factors like diet. The usefulness of CGM for staging and guiding treatment decisionsremains uncertain.

Read more at: https://doi.org/10.2337/dc25-0821

20/10/2025

🧠💙 Can being kinder to yourself improve diabetes outcomes?

A new study says yes—at least when it comes to blood glucose levels!

Young people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) who took part in a brief online self-compassion program saw a significant drop in their (a key marker of longer term glucose management). 🙌

📌 The program didn’t reduce diabetes distress, but participants still walked away with better glycemic outcomes—proving that self-kindness isn't just feel-good fluff. It may actually support better health. 💪🩸

17/10/2025

A research group asked the question: “Could a gluten-free diet help preserve insulin-producing beta cells in people at risk of type 1 diabetes?” In short, the answer was no.

A recent randomized clinical trial ( ) conducted in Finland and Sweden involved and teens with multiple (early markers of ). One group followed a gluten-free diet (GFD) for 17 months, while the other ate an unrestricted diet.

🔍 What they found:
There were no significant differences between the two groups in how well their bodies handled glucose or preserved β-cell (cells in the pancreas that make insulin) function over 18 months.

✅ The gluten-free diet was safe and well tolerated.
❌ But it didn’t delay diabetes progression.
👉 This study adds valuable evidence to help families and clinicians make informed choices about diet and nutrition in early-stage T1D.

Read more online at: https://doi.org/10.1210/jendso/bvaf073

14/10/2025

🎉 Post collection Playtime! 🎉
Big shoutout to Caitlin and Grace, this week’s ENDIA research superheroes. After their regional ENDIA sample collection today, they dove straight into their favourite Lego adventures using kits sent to them by nurse, Sarah! 🧱✨
Their smiles remind us that behind every sample is a story—and a bit of fun!
Thanks, Caitlin & Grace, for your help to find you awesome ENDIANs. 💙

11/10/2025

Here’s what we already know about :
Rotavirus vaccines prevent severe stomach bugs in babies and young children. But potentially damage (which make ) and cause high ( ).

Researchers set out to find if rotavirus vaccines help prevent in young .
🔬 The study: Scientists looked at rates in children under 5 years before and after countries introduced rotavirus programs.
📊 The results: In 7 out of 8 countries studied ( , , , , , , and ), T1D cases in young children **decreased** after rotavirus vaccination programs began!
🎯 What this means: Rotavirus vaccines might offer an unexpected bonus - not just protecting against stomach illness, but potentially reducing T1D risk too.

This adds to growing evidence that some may trigger , and preventing those infections could have broader health benefits than we originally thought.

Note: This is observational research - more studies are needed to confirm the connection. Read more at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.focus.2025.100409

08/10/2025

Today’s super ENDIAN is James.

James lives in and is nearly 7 years old.

At his latest ENDIA visit, James really really did not want to have his . But super James was and did it anyway.

James was all smiles when he received his thank you . Well done James! You really are super!

05/10/2025

Behind every groundbreaking discovery in the ENDIA Study are our incredible in the lab! 🔬

They are the unsung who meticulously process precious samples children and families generously provide – from various and **p samples to and . Their dedication ensures we gather the high-quality data needed for our

Their vital work in the lab includes (among many other things):
• Extracting DNA: Carefully isolating the genetic material from each sample.
• High-tech Sequencing: Using advanced technologies to identify and quantify the vast communities of bacteria, fungi, and viruses (the ) within these samples. 🦠🔬
• Deep Dive : Unpacking the to understand what microbes are present, how many, and even what functions they perform – from producing helpful vitamins to potentially harmful inflammatory compounds. They also measure important health markers like calprotectin and intestinal fatty acid-binding protein in stool and blood.
• HLA Typing: Analyzing genetic markers linked to .

This detailed lab work is absolutely critical to our mission: to uncover what influences risk, ultimately working towards better health outcomes for ! ❤️

A huge thank you to our dedicated lab teams and, of course, to every single ENDIA family who makes this vital possible! 🙌

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02/10/2025

This is the end of the ENDIA road for Edie!

10 years have literally whizzed by for ENDIA nurse, Deb, who remembers this little lady as a little baby.

And now Edie is not far from finishing primary school!

We’re so grateful to Edie and her wonderful family for sticking with us for all these years. We couldn’t even imagine trying to find the causes of without you. .

All ENDIA graduates are encouraged to check out Type1Screen www.type1screen.org for further screening every 5 years to adulthood (about 20 years old). The risk of reduces with age, but can still develop.

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29/09/2025

New had scientists compare two ways of managing during :
1) Insulin pumps (devices that deliver automatically) and
2) Multiple daily injections (MDI, throughout the day)

📊 The study looked at 141 with

🔍 Key findings: Both groups had similar glycemic control throughout pregnancy, but users had :
• Higher rates of early delivery (26% vs 17%)
• More needed (59% vs 40%)

However, by 1-3 months after birth, mums and babies in both groups were doing equally well, including success rates.

💡 Bottom line: Despite using continuous glucose monitors ( ) and achieving good , there were no differences in longer term outcomes for those on insulin pumps compared to those using MDI in this study. This research may help women with T1D who are planning pregnancy or currently expecting to make their own treatment choices. Insulin therapy should be individualised based on personal preference, glycaemic targets and experience.

Read more at: https://rdcu.be/ez8Y7

26/09/2025

Calling all budding ENDIA artists!

We're asking our ENDIANs to and come up with this year's ENDIA Festive Greeting card design. The most ENDIA-tastic design will be this year's winner, including their drawing sent out to every ENDIA participant, and a box of to say thanks for your help!

All entrants will have their creation posted to our ENDIA Facebook and Instagram pages helping to count down the days to .

Please make the image as clear as possible to help with printing, e.g. use bold colours, try pens and coloured markers over pencils, and avoid lined paper. Photograph or scan your entries and send to endia@adelaide.edu.au or DM via Instagram and Facebook or text to 0494 369 224. Entries gratefully received until Monday 27th October.

Good luck ENDIANs!

23/09/2025

For those in the ENDIA community who have not heard about the Australasian Type 1 Diabetes Immunotherapy Collaborative (ATIC), we thought you may be interested to learn more. Many of the lead researchers working on ENDIA and are also involved in this important initiative funded by .

The aim of ATIC is to have treatments available for every stage of (i.e. from the identification of the earliest markers through to those established on therapy).

If you are interested in learning more about prevention, delay and treatment for , give them a follow on Facebook: ATIC or check out the website for the latest

https://atic.svi.edu.au/

Pictured is a trial open for recruitment for a short time only, for those living with aged 18-45 years and living in , .

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Address

Women's And Children's Hospital
Adelaide, SA
5006

Website

http://www.endia.org.au/

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