Steps to a Cure Returns: Inside the Future of Type 1 Diabetes Research with the Diabetes Research Institute
Steps to a Cure is right around the corner, bringing together families, supporters, and advocates from across the type 1 diabetes community for a day of connection, awareness, and action.
Hosted by Touched by Type 1, the walk will take place at Lake Eola Park in Orlando, FL, creating an inspiring gathering place for people living with type 1 diabetes and the loved ones who support them.
More than just a walk, Steps to a Cure represents a shared mission: raising awareness, building community, and helping fund the research that moves the world closer to a cure.
For the 2026 walk, Touched by Type 1 is proud to partner with the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) as the official research partner for the event.
Funds raised by walk teams directly support the groundbreaking work being done by scientists at DRI, one of the world’s leading centers dedicated to curing type 1 diabetes.
Connecting the Community With the Science
Ahead of the walk, Touched by Type 1 hosted a special community Zoom where walk teams tuned in to hear directly from researchers about the latest developments in diabetes cure-focused research.
During the conversation, Dr. Juan Dominguez-Bendala, Director of Stem Cell and Pancreatic Regeneration at the Diabetes Research Institute, shared insights into the progress scientists are making and the promising pathways researchers are exploring today.
The goal of the discussion was simple but powerful: connect the community supporting the research with the scientists working every day to advance it.
Events like Steps to a Cure help make that work possible.
From developing new therapies to funding innovative experiments, community-driven support plays a critical role in accelerating research progress.
As Dr. Dominguez-Bendala shared during the conversation, the support of organizations like Touched by Type 1 helps ensure that promising ideas and talented researchers can continue moving forward.
Why Research Partnerships Matter
The Diabetes Research Institute has spent decades focused on a singular mission: curing type 1 diabetes.
Located at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, the institute is internationally recognized for its work in:
stem cell research
immune therapies
regenerative medicine
DRI researchers are working on multiple approaches simultaneously, because curing type 1 diabetes means solving several challenges at once.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.
A successful cure will require either restoring those cells, replacing them, or helping the body regenerate them — while also preventing the immune system from attacking them again.
That complexity is why so many different research strategies are being explored.
One Breakthrough Area: Islet Cell Transplantation
One of the earliest breakthroughs discussed during the Zoom was islet transplantation, a procedure that replaces insulin-producing cells in the body.
In this approach, islet cells are isolated from a donor pancreas and transplanted into a person living with type 1 diabetes.
For some patients, the results can be life-changing.
Many regain awareness of dangerous low blood sugar episodes, and some are even able to reduce or temporarily eliminate their need for insulin.
However, the procedure currently faces one major limitation: donor availability.
There simply are not enough donor pancreases available to scale the treatment for the millions of people living with type 1 diabetes worldwide.
Because of this, researchers are working to create new sources of insulin-producing cells.
Stem Cells Are Opening New Possibilities
One of the most exciting developments in diabetes research involves stem cell-derived beta cells.
Scientists can now grow insulin-producing cells from stem cells in the lab and transplant them into the body.
This technology could provide an essentially unlimited supply of cells for future treatments.
Clinical trials are already underway, and some participants have experienced remarkable improvements in blood glucose management.
In certain cases, individuals receiving these therapies have been able to significantly reduce their reliance on insulin.
While these treatments are still being refined and are not yet widely available, they represent a major step forward in the field.
Protecting New Cells From the Immune System
Creating new insulin-producing cells is only part of the challenge.
Researchers must also prevent the immune system from attacking those cells again.
To address this, scientists are developing several strategies to help protect transplanted cells, including:
targeted immune therapies
localized drug delivery
protective encapsulation devices
genetically modified cells that are less visible to the immune system
These approaches aim to allow new beta cells to survive and function long-term without requiring lifelong immunosuppressive drugs.
The research is ongoing, but early results show encouraging progress.
Regenerating Insulin Cells From Within the Pancreas
Another fascinating area of research discussed during the Zoom focuses on pancreatic regeneration.
Rather than transplanting cells into the body, researchers are studying whether it may be possible to encourage the pancreas to regenerate insulin-producing cells on its own.
Dr. Dominguez-Bendala and his team have identified special progenitor cells located within the pancreatic duct system that may have the ability to develop into new beta cells.
Using a growth factor known as BMP7, researchers have been able to stimulate these cells in laboratory models, leading to the development of new insulin-producing islets.
In preclinical studies, this approach has shown the ability to restore insulin production and improve blood glucose levels in diabetic models.
While much more research is still needed before this can be tested broadly in humans, the concept of helping the pancreas rebuild itself represents an exciting direction for future therapies.
A New Era of Collaboration in Diabetes Research
One of the most hopeful messages shared during the Zoom was that the landscape of diabetes research has changed dramatically over the past two decades.
Researchers now have a far deeper understanding of the immune system, beta cell biology, and the mechanisms behind type 1 diabetes.
In addition, global collaboration among scientists has accelerated progress.
Research teams across universities, hospitals, and biotech companies are now sharing data, working together on clinical trials, and combining therapies in ways that were far less common in the past.
This collaboration is helping researchers move faster toward real solutions.
How the Community Can Get Involved
One of the most special parts of Steps to a Cure is that it truly belongs to the community.
Whether you’re living with type 1 diabetes, supporting someone who is, working in the medical field, or simply want to stand behind the mission to find a cure, there’s a place for you at the walk.
Families, friends, caregivers, healthcare professionals, local businesses, and supporters from across Central Florida come together to walk side by side in support of the type 1 diabetes community.
Participants can register individually or create a walk team, invite friends and family to join, and help raise funds that directly support diabetes research through the Diabetes Research Institute.
Taking Steps Toward a Cure
Steps to a Cure represents more than a milestone event for Touched by Type 1.
It represents a growing movement of people who believe in supporting research, building community, and driving progress toward a future without type 1 diabetes.
By partnering with the Diabetes Research Institute and bringing the community closer to the science, the event helps transform hope into action.
Every step taken, every team formed, and every dollar raised helps move the research forward.
And together, those steps bring us closer to the day when type 1 diabetes can truly be cured.
