Diabetes in Control Teams up with JDRF Researcher to Enlist Patients in the GoKinD Study

“We are glad to have the opportunity to reach your professional readership and offer them a chance to enlist families in this study” --Therese Gibson, GoKinD Study recruiter.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) has launched the Genetics of Diabetes in Kidney Disease (GoKinD) Study in the U.S. and Canada to better understand how genes contribute to the development of diabetic kidney disease in people with type 1 diabetes.  Approximately one million Americans and 225,000 Canadians currently have type 1 diabetes and it’s estimated that more than 30% of them will eventually develop kidney disease, also known as nephropathy, as a result of their diabetes.  Kidney disease may progress to end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant for survival. 

Good diabetes control can reduce the possibility of kidney disease, but scientists also know that a link exists between kidney disease and genes. 

 “As the medical community’s knowledge of human genetics increases, the samples and data collected in this study will greatly increase our understanding of diabetic kidney disease and type 1 diabetes,” said Dr. Robert Goldstein, Chief Scientific Officer of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  “This information may allow us to design new treatments, or make progress in finding cures.”

The purpose of this medical research study is to establish a repository of DNA and clinical information from a large number of patients with type 1 diabetes in order to facilitate studies into the genetic basis of diabetic kidney disease.   The study requires participants with diabetes together with their parents to supply a blood sample and urine sample, and medical histories.  Parents do not have to have diabetes or kidney disease to participate.

            The primary participant needs to be between18 to 54 years old and have had type 1 diabetes for at least 10 to 15 years.  The study is seeking a total of 1,100 adults with type 1 diabetes, together with both parents, for a total of 3,300 participants.

Numerous medical centers across the U.S. and Canada are participating in the study.  For more information about the GoKinD Study patients and professionals can call toll free 1-866-4-GO-KIND  (1-866-446-5463).  Or, check the study’s Web site at www.gokind.org.