Potential life-changing research to cure Type 1 diabetes funded by local donations

EDMONTON — A local club donated $50,000 to help fund the next series of clinical testing for a potential cure to diabetes.

The Cosmopolitan Foundation of Canada’s Edmonton chapter presented the Alberta Diabetes Foundation with the cheque Saturday afternoon. The money was gathered through individual donations and clubs across the country fundraising.

Dr. Jean Buteau, professor in nutrition and researcher at the Alberta Diabetes Institute, told CTV News how the donation meant the world to him.

“It keeps motivating us and reminds us why we are doing this work,” Buteau said. “At times we feel isolated, I certainly feel isolated working in my lab surrounded by four walls and working with my little instruments.

“So the expression of support or interest from the patients and donors is important,” he added. “We are making huge advances.”

Buteau’s work focuses on protecting, regenerating, and expanding diabetes patients own beta cells to help cure Type 1 diabetes.

The donation will support launching a small-scale proof of concept clinical trials that are needed before being able to launch larger-scale testing.

“We want a solution to diabetes,” said Cheryl MacKenzie, president of the Cosmopolitan Foundation of Canada. “(Buteau) is ready to take this research to some pretty significant steps forward and we want to be there to help him do that.”

The Alberta Diabetes Foundation plans to match all public funds made to support diabetes research over the next two months.