A 61-year-old man has become the first person in the UK to be cured of type 1 diabetes thanks to a groundbreaking cell transplant technique.

After receiving insulin-making cells from the pancreases of dead donors, Richard Lane of Bromley, Kent, no longer needs insulin injections.

The King's College Hospital team said the breakthrough was hugely exciting for people with type 1 diabetes.

But the technique is not perfect. Many patients still require top-up insulin.

More information can be found by clicking the link http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4330717.stm

The government has published the second part of the National Service Framework for Renal Services.

The framework includes recommendations on the monitoring and care of chronic kidney disease, acute renal failure and end of life care.

·  Diabetic kidney disease develops in about one third of people with diabetes
·  Diabetes is now the leading cause of end stage renal failure
·  Approximately 20 per cent of people with Type 1 diabetes will reach end stage kidney disease

Key elements of the framework include prevention and early detection of kidney disease and minimising its progression and effects.

It demands the provision of appropriate advice, treatment and support, sensitive to the needs of culturally diverse groups, to all those at increased risk of chronic kidney disease.

Those identified at increased risk should have their kidney function assessed and monitored.

More information can be found here

If a pregnant woman has a poor diet it may increase her child's chances of having heart disease, scientists say.

A University of Southampton team found blood flow through the unborn baby's liver in late pregnancy was crucial. Their study in Circulation Research found more blood flows through the livers of babies who have slim mothers or who eat unbalanced diets.

This can affect liver function in later life, increasing the risk of heart disease and diabetes in the offspring.

Researchers from the University of Southampton, along with colleagues from Bergen and Oslo, looked at how a mother's diet and slimness could have long-term effects on a developing baby.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4195315.stm

Researchers have been awarded almost £9m to investigate the impact of exercise on preventing weight gain, obesity and diabetes.

The European Commission-funded probe will be used to help develop a drug to fight Type 2 Diabetes.  Type 2 Diabetes is often linked with obesity and it can cause many chronic and debilitating health problems.

The University of Dundee's School of Life Sciences will lead the Exgenesis project.  Rates of obesity have tripled across the UK in the past 20 years and there are fears a similarly large increase in Type 2 Diabetes may soon follow.

However, any potential diabetes drug would be several years away and would follow the planned five-year-long project which is due to take place across 13 European countries.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4191297.stm

A study has been launched to establish the extent of Type 2 diabetes in children. The research, funded by Diabetes UK, will also look at the causes of Type 2 diabetes in children and the impact it has on those who develop the condition.

The number of children developing Type 2 diabetes has increased dramatically in recent years. Previously it was unheard of but experts now estimate there may be around 1,400 children in the UK with the condition.

The study, which runs until October 2005, was launched by the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Website: http://www.rcpch.ac.uk

The diabetes NSF nad NICE guidance on patient education states that PCTs need to offer structured education to people with diabetes. 

A national education programme for people with Type 2 diabetes (DESMOND) is now available and PCTs should register their interest by the end of February.

More information is available here