Image still from Senate hearing

At a Senate hearing on medical research U.S. Senator Jerry Moran emphasized the human impact behind funding decisions, praising the presence of young advocates and medical experts for spotlighting the urgent need for continued investment in Type 1 diabetes research.

“It’s always useful for us to see the individual lives that are impacted. Things can be about numbers and they can be about dollars. But in order to get our attention and get the necessary action on our part, it’s useful to see that humans, our friends, our neighbors, our constituents, our family members are impacted.”

Sen. Moran expressed cautious support for Senator Susan Collins’ forthcoming bill related to diabetes research, noting he would wait to speak first with juvenile diabetes advocates from Kansas before formally co-sponsoring. However, he strongly signaled alignment with the legislation.

Dr. Griffin Rodgers of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases highlighted key advances in Type 1 diabetes research, including FDA-approved drugs that can delay disease onset, emerging cellular and stem cell therapies, and the potential use of CAR T-cell therapy—borrowed from cancer treatment—to prevent the immune system from attacking insulin-producing cells.

Moran expressed optimism, saying, “It’s encouraging to see technology used in cancer research also being applied here. The goal is fewer families affected by this disease—and one day, a cure.”