University of Iowa Children's Hospital researchers seek to improve lives through new therapies and technologies

When Macey Spensley experienced problems with bed-wetting at the age of five, her parents decided to see the family physician.

The resulting visit included blood testing that led to an unexpected diagnosis: Macey had diabetes.

“There were lots and lots of tears,” recalls Macey’s mother, Darcey. “She’s our baby. We didn’t know much about diabetes at the time, and feared that Macey wouldn’t have a normal childhood. Plus, my husband and I both work and we have three other kids so the thought of a regimented schedule seemed overwhelming.”

Spensley’s concerns were justified. Despite medical advances, diabetes requires immediate, continuous care and lifestyle changes. In Macey’s case, family physician Michael Weston, M.D., of Monticello, Iowa, made a same-day appointment with the Diabetes Program at University of Iowa Children's Hospital, a part of University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

During a four-day inpatient visit, Macey and her family learned from the hospital’s team of experts how to administer insulin shots, understand blood sugar counts, and practice dietary restrictions. Macey learned to perform her own finger pokes.

It all seemed rather overwhelming. Since then, it has become a prominent routine for the family and for Macey, who has adjusted well.

Still, researchers at University of Iowa Children's Hospital and other academic medical centers nationwide continue to seek new and better ways to improve the lives of people with diabetes, primarily through voluntary clinical trial opportunities.

The Spensleys are participating in a study involving the Navigator continuous glucose monitor. Pediatric researcher Eva Tsalikian, M.D., says the device includes a disposable, miniaturized electrochemical sensor that is inserted under the skin of the abdomen, upper arm, or elsewhere.

“This sensor measures blood glucose levels and provides a glucose reading every 60 seconds (1,440 readings a day),” she says. “It has alarms for hypoglycemia (too little blood sugar) and hyperglycemia (too much blood sugar) and for projected high and low glucose values.”

While not yet approved by the FDA, the Navigator is so promising that University of Iowa Children's Hospital researchers are planning additional studies using the device.

Darcey Spensley says the glucose monitor has greatly reduced the number of finger pricks her daughter needs to perform. “It gives us all hope that new technologies like this can make life better for people with diabetes,” she says.

Other clinical research involves insulin pump therapy and the effects of exercise and different insulin types in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. One trial—focusing on the natural history of type 1 diabetes—is being conducted in conjunction with an international network of centers dedicated to diabetes prevention research.

Pediatric researcher Michael Tansey, M.D., says, “These studies will enable us to learn more about risk factors associated with the development of type 1 diabetes. We are screening people between the ages of one and 45 who have a first-degree blood relative with type 1 diabetes, or people between the ages of one and 20 who have a second-degree blood relative with type 1 diabetes.”

In addition to Tsalikian and Tansey, the research team includes Julie Coffey, A.R.N.P.; Linda Larson, R.N., C.D.E.; and Joanne Cabbage, research assistant.

Patients and family members who want more information about the Diabetes Program or about diabetes studies at University of Iowa Children's Hospital may call Coffey toll-free at 866-309-0837. For consultation or referral, physicians may call UI Consult.

Play Ball
Macey shares a laugh with teammates onthe Monticello Shocks basketball team

Innovative Thinkers
(Right) University of Iowa Children's Hospital researchers Eva Tsalikian, M.D. and Michael Tansey, M.D., seek new and better ways to improves lives of people with diabetes, primarily thorugh voluntary clinical trial opportunities.