Betacell

A resource for healthcare providers established by The Endocrine Society.

Our mission:

• Improve understanding among primary care physicians about the role of beta cells as key drivers in the development and progression of T2DM and the potential to improve patients’ capacity to produce and secrete insulin by intervening early and aggressively with treatments that target beta cell function

• Engage primary care physicians in pathopysiology-based clinical decision making through an interactive educational format that stimulates debate and encourages physicians to incorporate the new science into their patient treatment regimens  

Background

On January 10, 2009, The Endocrine Society (www.endo-society.org) convened a working group to consider whether current knowledge regarding pancreatic beta cell defects justifies retargeting and retiming treatment in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The meeting brought together basic researchers, clinical endocrinologists, and primary care physicians (PCPs) to discuss the need to improve understanding of the role of beta cells as key drivers in the natural history of T2DM and consider which treatments delay or prevent beta cell decline early in disease progression. The meeting was supported by an educational grant to The Endocrine Society from Novo Nordisk, Inc.

One of the recommendations that came out of the meeting was to explore new educational approaches that promote pathophysiology-based clinical practice. The Co-Chairs of the meeting, as well as several of the meeting participants, agreed to participate in the Beta Cells in Diabetes e-learning initiative, in an effort to promote understanding of the natural history of T2DM and to actively engage primary care physicians in determining individualized treatment regimens, based on the patient’s specific disease course and the strengths and shortcomings of available therapies. The hope is that this effort will aid primary care physicians in the interpretation of concepts of disease pathogenesis, such as beta cell dysfunction, and improve medical decision-making in T2DM.

Beta Cells in Diabetes is supported by an educational grant to The Endocrine Society from Novo Nordisk, Inc.