About

The Scottish Diabetes Research Network Type 1 Bioresource (SDRNT1BIO) is a large and comprehensive collection of biosamples and electronic health care record data from 6,127 adults in Scotland with type 1 diabetes.

SDRN Type 1 Bioresource (SDRNT1BIO) 

The SDRNT1BIO was created under the auspices of the Scottish Diabetes Research Network (SDRN) to support collaborative research. Participants provided blood and urine samples to be stored for use in research projects. They also agreed for researchers to have access to their electronic health care records over time.

Scottish Diabetes Research Network

The SDRNT1BIO is a research collaboration involving researchers, clinicians and people with diabetes. 

It was established during 2010-13 and involved 6,127 participants, aged 16 years and older, from across 12 Scottish NHS Health Boards. Participants volunteered to be part of this research when they were asked during their diabetic review visits at hospital and GP clinics. 

Purpose

There are many things doctors and researchers still don’t understand about Type 1 diabetes, such as: Why is the number of people who develop Type 1 diabetes increasing? Why does this vary between countries or even within Scotland? Why do some people seem prone to getting complications of diabetes and others do not? One of the reasons we still can’t answer these questions is that the number of people with Type 1 diabetes being included in research studies is much too small. 

The people of Scotland with Type 1 diabetes can make a unique contribution to this research because Scotland has one of the best registers in the world of who has diabetes. This register shows that there are approximately 27,000 people with Type 1 diabetes in Scotland.

The purpose of this research is therefore to create a large set of samples and data from people with Type 1 diabetes and make it available to those conducting scientific research into diabetes. We call this collection of samples and data a “bioresource”. The SDRNT1BIO will be used to facilitate a wide range of research into the genetic determinants of type 1 diabetes and the pathogenesis and biomarkers of complications of diabetes. 

Aims

Some of the aims of the SDRNT1BIO are:

• Discovery and validation of genetic determinants of type 1 diabetes
• Discovery and validation of genetic determinants of complications of type 1 diabetes e.g. diabetic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease
• Identify biomarkers in blood and/or urine that might predict the development of diabetes complications
• Identify subgroups (stratification) of people with type 1 diabetes
• Identify environmental and socio-economic determinants of type 1 diabetes

Contact

To contact the Study Co-ordinator, email: SDRNT1BIO@ed.ac.uk

Funding

The SDRNT1BIO was established with joint funding from the Scottish Chief Scientist Office and Diabetes UK.

Research using data and resources sourced by the SDRNT1BIO is funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and Diabetes UK.

Acknowledgements

We thank the participants and NHS Staff who took part in this study.