The Breakthroughs Are Ready. The Volunteers Are the Missing Piece.

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Every treatment people with type 1 diabetes rely on today — every insulin, every pump, every continuous glucose monitor — exists because ordinary people volunteered for clinical trials. Somebody had to go first. Somebody had to say, "Test it on me."

Right now, there are more than 300 clinical trials for type 1 diabetes and its complications underway. That's a remarkable number. It means the science is not the bottleneck anymore. The bottleneck, increasingly, is people.

Trials don't fail on science. They stall on sign-ups.

Here's the part of the research world that rarely makes headlines: many clinical trials are delayed — or never finish at all — because researchers can't find enough participants. Every slow-enrolling trial pushes a potential therapy months or years further from the people waiting for it.

That's frustrating, but it's also genuinely hopeful, because it's the one part of the process readers like you can directly change. As Marjorie, a clinical trial participant, puts it on Breakthrough T1D's clinical trials page: "Clinical trials are the only way to get to cures. The more folks that participate, the more data we have to improve and optimize treatment options."

What's being tested right now

The 300-plus trials underway aren't all variations of the same idea. They span the full frontier of T1D research:

Disease-modifying therapies — treatments designed to slow or stop the immune system's attack on insulin-producing beta cells, changing the course of the disease rather than just managing it
Cell therapies — work aimed at replacing or restoring the insulin-producing cells T1D destroys
New drugs, devices, and technology — better tools for daily management and for preventing complications
Virtual trials — studies conducted remotely, so geography doesn't decide who gets to participate

One featured example: the RESET T1D trial is testing whether a drug called rezpegaldesleukin can help people diagnosed within the last three months keep making their own insulin, by strengthening the regulatory T cells that keep the immune system in balance.

"I probably don't qualify" — you might be surprised

The most common reason people never look into trials is assuming they're not eligible. In reality, researchers need a wide range of participants. Yes, some studies are for the newly diagnosed — the window right after diagnosis is precious for beta-cell-saving therapies. But many others are for people who have lived with T1D for years or even decades, including studies focused on complications, cardiovascular health, and everyday management.

Every trial has eligibility criteria — age, stage of disease, medical history — and not everyone who applies will be able to take part. Some studies also compare an experimental treatment against a placebo. Those are fair things to weigh. But you'll never know which studies fit you until you look, and looking costs nothing.

What participants actually get out of it

People who join trials often describe benefits they didn't expect:

Early access to new treatments and technologies before they're available to the public
Care and monitoring from top diabetes clinics and research teams while enrolled
Community and understanding — as participant Elijah says, "Participating in clinical trials has given me valuable insights into the latest T1D research and provided me with a strong sense of community."

And underneath all of it is the one guaranteed outcome: your participation moves the science forward for everyone who comes after you.

Finding your trial takes about a minute

Breakthrough T1D built its clinical trials page to remove the homework. The centerpiece is the Clinical Trials Connection, a matching tool that asks a few simple questions — where you live, how far you're willing to travel, and a few details about you — and matches you with trials you may be eligible for, all in under a minute. You can also sign up for email alerts as new trials open.

Not ready to commit to anything? The page can connect you with trained Clinical Trial Education Volunteers — real people who answer questions and help you think it through — and with The Pipeline, Breakthrough T1D's monthly research newsletter, if you'd rather follow the science for a while first.

"We want every member of the diverse T1D community to be aware of clinical trials, how to participate, and where to find information," says Breakthrough T1D's Vice President of Medical Affairs. "The next generation of breakthroughs depends on it."

She's right. The researchers are ready. The trials are open. All that's missing is you.

Explore the trials and get matched: https://www.breakthrought1d.org/clinical-trials/

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