What Is a Practical Cure? An Infographic.

March 20, 2024

A Practical Cure encompasses the core hopes, wants, and needs of the type 1 diabetes community. ‘Practical Cure’—often referred to by other organizations as a ‘Functional Cure’—is not a new term. In last week’s report, we discussed the significance of defining the term and shifting research priorities away from simply treating to curing T1D with an aligned focus. A Practical Cure represents the realistic end to the most disruptive and burdensome aspects of type 1 diabetes in a way the community agrees upon and advocates for.

It is a realistic cure that can drastically reduce the heavy load that those with T1D carry daily, with as close a return to a “normal” quality of life as possible, as described in the infographic above. This means an end to systematic fingerpricks given to every other tired digit to measure blood glucose, an end to swinging from hypoglycemia to hyperglycemia despite the best efforts, an end to rationing insulin or risking a miscalculated dose.

We continue to advocate for making the pursuit of a Practical Cure the main objective of major fundraisers and research organizations. Prioritizing money and resources toward a Practical/Functional Cure is the best chance we have of putting a stop to T1D in our lifetime.