Juan Domínguez-Bendala, Ph.D., is Director of Stem Cell Development for Translational Research at the Diabetes Research Institute. Once again, thanks to Gina and Jon at Diabetes Talkfest - you'll have the opportunity to chat live with Dr. Domínguez-Bendala on August 23rd at 9pm Eastern Standard Time.

Dr. Domínguez-Bendala is currently involved in several projects that focus on the use of embryonic stem cells to obtain pancreatic islets, in the hopes that these newly developed cells could one day be transplanted into patients with type I diabetes.

Join Dr. Domínguez-Bendala to discuss his work and ask questions pertaining to embryonic stem cell research. I know I'll be there, in true form, asking questions that I've been archiving for an event like this one!

A little over 2 weeks ago I posted something about diabulemia on site where diabetics exchange their feelings, frustrations, and experiences with the disease. Two Type 1 diabetic women took the time to write me a very thoughtful hate mail. Hate is a strong word but these are some strong accusations. For starters, they said, "There ain't no such word as diabulemia. It's called diabetic stupidity." That is cut directly from the email, and as you can see - it was written with an arrogant disregard for the 450,000 people suffering from this serious condition.

I understand strong words come from passion. An email with the subject title "There's type 1, and then there are fools with type 1" could only have been composed with hateful passion. Within the passionate lines of this email were statements like "Insulin shock therapy was used in mental institutions (where you belong)." Not exactly nice words to come from a teacher - but again, the words were incensed with passion. Good, bad or ugly - feedback is terribly important to me because it conveys what matters to you. Knowing is half the battle.

By logging my experiences with diabetes on the web, these hate mailers refer to me as "You fool" for exercising my Freedom of Speech (First Amendment). To this I add -- thank goodness for the Freedom of Information Act. If I'm a Fool for sharing my experience with overcoming diabulemia and trying to lend consoling advice to others struggling with it - I'm a damn proud Fool! Hate on, haters!

TuDiabetes.com is a site for people touched by diabetes. The creator of the site, Manny Hernandez, got the ball rolling on a topic of interest we all take to heart - diabetes book recommendations.

When you ask diabetics to brainstorm on a terribly intrinsic topic you get some pretty good responses. One suggested read was The Diabetes Improvement Program. This book helped a diabetic overcome depression, when the talented team of healthcare professionals could not. Other honorable mentions include: Psyching Out Diabetes, Dr. Bernstein's' Diabetes Solution, Diabesity, and Diabetes for Dummies.

Somebody actually asked something very interesting - where is the book on the evolution of diabetes treatment? Often a topic of discussion, and yet so rarely documented is the sequential events of diabetes treatment, starting with the discovery of insulin. A lull ensued from about 1930 till the boom of genetically modified human insulin, in the early 80s. Any investigative journalist willing to take a stab at it? I guarantee the book will make my must read. And Eli Lilly might actually pay you not to write it.

P.S. One reader pointed out - a chapter of Brent Hoadley's book, Too Profitable to Cure presented a chronology of the evolution of diabetes treatment.

When TIME magazine does a piece on your plight - it's definitely gaining public interest. The fact that 1 in 3 people affected by Type 1 diabetes manipulate their insulin to lose weight is an eye-opening statistic. This lethal coping mechanism is termed diabulemia and a major national TV show is seeking diabulmics for a "sensitive, accurate portrayal of the condition" - at least that is what they told me.

I volunteered myself for the interview. I've struggled with diabulemia for the past 15 years until I did something a doctor would NEVER recommend. I called the station back - it was CNN. I divulged what a day in the life was like when I practiced diabulemia -- and I was good at it! When I told the interviewer that I noticed a world of difference when I changed my insulin from human synthetic to natural animal, she was surprised (so was my doctor). The key to mitigating my angst with insulin was getting the message to my brain at the same time the rest of my body was getting the glucose. This is less effective in newer insulin analogues. Big Pharma does not profit by selling natural vertebrate insulin even if it is better for hormonal response in suppressing appetite and preventing your body from entering ketoacidosis (DKA). Big Pharma profits if they own the patent for the specific insulin analogue you use. In my land of milk and honey - I realized Big Pharma is not my mom, not my dad and not my best friend. Big Pharma is not personal -- Big Pharma is business. So I took my business elsewhere because I didn't like the way Big Pharma was handling my business.

I don't mind explaining my abusive relationship with insulin if it helps anybody struggling with diabulemia. It's a shameful thing but it doesn't have to be. It's controversial but it's all true. For those of you considering your 15 minutes for diabulemia -- don't be concerned about your privacy. The TV show is planning to shoot the interview in shadow. If you wish to learn more about contributing to this documentary, please see The Sugar Shock.

dLife is inviting all budding artists to send in their designs for its 2007 holiday cards. Up to 10 winning designs will be made into greeting cards to support the dLife Foundation's Holiday Cards for a Cause.

In addition to the bragging rights of being a contest winner, there will be 10 prizes awarded: 5 people will get a $100 Best Buy Gift Card and 5 people will get a $50.00 Best Buy Gift Card.

It's not hard to enter. Any non-professional artist is eligible - kids, teens, even adults. If you have diabetes or you have a loved one with diabetes and you would like to dedicate your work to them, you are free to enter. You can draw or submit any theme that you would like to see as a holiday greeting card. (Sorry, if you have ever received payment for any of your artwork, you are ineligible.). All artwork must be received by June 21, 2007 for consideration. See dLife for all the details of the contest. Thanks to Gina of Diabetes Talkfest for letting me display her card submitted for the contest - isn't it beautiful? Good job, Gina!!

Once again Diabetes Talkfest is making the experience of diabetes rewarding. This time, voice your funny in iambic pentameter and you can win an iPod Shuffle. In other words -- the funniest diabetic poem wins a REALLY COOL PRIZE!!!

Your poem can be long or short, rhyme or not. If you submit a poem longer than 60,000 characters it will have to be done in multiple posts, as the message board will not accept posts that long. It is up to you -- the member -- to decide the winner (to be decided through an anonymous vote).

Entries will be accepted during the month of May, 2007. Voting will begin June 1st, 2007 and end June 18, 2007.

Please refrain from using profanity or obscene language. Please don't insult anybody. Diabetes Talkfest is a family site. Any entry that is determined to be obscene or off-topic will be deleted. Please do not submit anything you did not create on your own. We can't accept copied or copyrighted work.

All participants must be registered to enter the contest. Thanks to Gina and Jon for keeping the spirit of community alive in the diabetes online community!

Chat live with Dr. Pugliese, an expert on the immunology and genetics of diabetes at The Diabetes Research Institute. His work has been focused on preventing the autoimmune attack that leads to diabetes. This research is very important for future prevention strategies, as well as stopping autoimmune destruction of transplanted islets.

Dr. Pugliese's has studied the role of the thymus gland in the immune system and he describes it as the "school for the immune system". All immune cells are forced to pass through the thymus gland where they are exposed to the antigens present throughout the body. Immune cells that bind to these normal antigens are destroyed, thereby preventing the later destruction of healthy cells. If no binding occurs, then the cell is deemed to be friendly to host tissue and is released to become part of the immune system. The insulin producing cells of the body - islets -- are not the only body cells that release insulin. Dr. Pugliese's research has shown that there are other cells that release tiny amounts of insulin, but not in response to blood glucose. These cells present insulin to the visiting immune cells in the thymus, and any immune cell that binds is killed. It is believed that a low insulin output in these decoy cells in people who develop diabetes may be the reason that immune cells are allowed to live that will later track insulin back to its source and destroy healthy islets. In people who have the genetic markers that protect against diabetes, these cells secrete more insulin than they do in people with genes that pre-dispose them to diabetes. The more insulin in the thymus, the more likely that insulin-specific autoreactive lymphocytes will be killed, with fewer chances of developing diabetes.

Confused yet? Yeah, me too - but my confusion feeds my insatiable curiosity. That is precisely why I will be joining the rescheduled chat with Dr. Pugliese. Please, be there on March 15th at 9pm Eastern Standard Time on Diabetes Talkfest. Make it a date: you, me, Dr. P and the most informed people in the diabetes community. Once again, thanks to Gina and Jon for Linking Diabetics Coast to Coast!

Like a dog chasing its own tail (but nowhere near as funny), type 1 diabetes is caused by a self-imposed attack on insulin producing cells. Here's your chance to chat live and learn about the latest discoveries to interfere with the automimmune confusion. Chat live with the head of the Immunogenetics Program at the Diabetes Research Institute, Alberto Pugliese, M.D.

The DRI program is specifically focused on understanding how genetic and immunological factors play a role in the development of type 1 diabetes and how certain genetic and immunological factors may actually afford protection from diabetes. The program is uncovering ways to interfere with the immune cells that attack the insulin producing cells in the pancreas resulting in diabetes.

In plain English, join Dr. Pugliese to enlighten yourself and ask any questions you may have regarding this impressive research. The chat begins at 9pm EST and those who miss it can catch the excitement in the transcript, to be posted shortly thereafter. I hope to see fellow IDDMs on the chat roster.

Join Dr. Aaron Kowalski for a live chat on the Artificial Pancreas Project, December 12 at 9pm Eastern Standard Time. Thanks to Gina Capone of Diabetes Talkfest, you will have a chance to ask questions and learn more about this tremendous project poised to revolutionize diabetes management.

Dr. Kowalski and his brother Stephen have lived with type 1 diabetes for the greater part of their lives. Visit YouTube® to view a 10 minute presentation Dr. Kowalski gave, where he shares his personal story on the tough issues diabetes has raised in his life. He describes how his brother's hypoglycemic unawareness impacted his daily life for the past 30 years and Kowalski explains how an artificial pancreas would benefit people with type 1 diabetes.

Managing diabetes is a full time job. Emotions need not apply. In a perfect world, your job is to keep your blood sugars in the range of 80 to 120 always. There is no exception to this rule. We all know abiding this law is nearly impossible because we are not machines. A device programmed to enforce this policy and arrest sugars precariously trending out of this range is exactly what we need to oversee our safe existence. The YouTube video is a great appetizer to the live chat. I hope you all can attend Tuesday night on Diabetes Talkfest. See you there!