I started researching T1d 27 years ago when my son was diagnosed at age one. My background at that point was accounting and M.S. in engineering. Thanks to my work with wonderful people like Dr. H. Peter Chase and Dr. George Eisenbarth, I was able to contribute to multiple publications and protocols. It was an honor to work with them at the Barbara Davis Center. You can look up my name in PubMed with the key word diabetes under S. Cooper or S. Chritton. One of my projects showed that if you have elevated inflammation, you are more likely to progress to T1d. A healthy AA/EPA and high DHA and healthy D3 level are supportive in not just T1d but also other forms of diabetes.
So we went to the NIH with our protocol. They forced us to just choose “one” element, and so we chose DHA - but we knew that the dose needs to be titrated and measured quarterly and you can’t negate the D3. The NIH at that time was not open to a “cocktail” approach, and they would not let us treat kids over 3 years old because that would compete with their drug study for oral insulin which had already been going on for over a decade. They now want to do a 3rd decade of oral insulin, and I have been told that our approach to providing honest information about inflammation and D3 levels is not welcomed due to interference with the drug studies already approved - most of which require extremely expensive IV infusions.

I came to provide “Ben’s cocktail” which reversed my son’s autoantibodies primarily to donors to JDRF. I was serving on the JDRF grant review committee and the “cocktail” came from great friends who also served. You can read about this at www.preventt1d.org.

I have created web sites to provide information. Dr. Michael Clare-Salzler for the UF- Gainesville is the sub PI of the WIRB approved protocol. Dr. Camillo Ricordi, Director of the DRI is also supportive and is working with a similar arm in new-onset patients.

My hope is that TrialNet will embrace this approach or at least support what we are doing. I realize they have numerous drug studies they want to try, but why not do both? Our approach is safe, efficacious and affordable. Those are the only three legs of a stool that will lead to a cure. All others presented are not yet…but I know that we would be a strong foundation for some that are pending.

#WeAreNotWaiting
Sonia Chritton
sonia@soniachritton.com
303-475-4312
If you/your child is autoantibody positive, I am happy to speak with you and try to assist.