Dr John Wentworth, Senior Research Officer

About

My research aims to determine the best ways to prevent and treat type 1 and type 2 diabetes. To do this, I study patients from our clinic who have diabetes or who are at high risk of developing it.

In some of our clinical trials we compare different treatment or prevention strategies to determine what works and what doesn’t. Blood samples collected along the way are analysed in the laboratory to help us better understand how diabetes develops and how it responds to different treatments.

Research interest

Type 1 diabetes
I lead several local and multinational clinical trials in collaboration with the Royal Melbourne Hospital, St Vincent’s Institute, Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet, T1DUK and INNODIA.

These include:

Insulin and abatacept (IAA) trial. One of the first to assess combination therapy to preserve pancreas function.
Environmental Determinants of Diabetes (ENDIA) Study to identify environmental triggers of type 1 diabetes to improve our ability to predict and prevent it.
Type1 Diabetes Immunotherapy Collaborative: a network of diabetes trials centres in Australia and New Zealand that aims to develop type 1 diabetes immunotherapy and introduce it into routine care.
Type1Screen: screens relatives for type 1 diabetes using an in-home finger prick test.
JDRFA General Population Screening Pilot study that will determine the best way to screen young Australians for type 1 diabetes.
TrialNet studies to prevent type 1 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes
The broad aims of my research are to better define how obesity causes type 2 diabetes, and to determine how new weight loss therapies can improve glucose control and even put diabetes into remission.

Education

Joint appointments

Achievements

Publications

Selected publications from Dr John Wentworth

Wentworth JM, Oakey H, Craig ME, Couper JJ, Cameron FJ, Davis EA, Lafferty AR, Harris M, Wheeler BJ, Jefferies C, Colman PG, Harrison LC. Decreased occurrence of ketoacidosis and preservation of beta cell function in relatives screened and monitored for type 1 diabetes in Australia and New Zealand. Pediatric Diabetes 2022 23(8):1594-1601.

Gitelman SE, Bundy BN, Ferrannini E, Lim N, Blanchfield JL, DiMeglio LA, Felner EI, Gaglia JL, Gottlieb PA, Long SA, Mari A, Mirmira RG, Raskin P, Sanda S, Tsalikian E, Wentworth JM, Willi SM, Krischer JP, Bluestone JA. Imatinib therapy for patients with recent-onset type 1 diabetes: a randomised, double blind, multicentre, placebo controlled phase 2 trial. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinol. 2021 9:502-14

Bediaga NG, Li-Wai-Suen CSN, Haller MJ, Gitelman SE, Evans-Molina C, Gottlieb PA, Hippich M, Ziegler A, Lernmark A, DiMeglio LA, Wherrett DK, Colman PG, Harrison LC, Wentworth JM. Simplifying prediction of disease progression in pre-symptomatic type 1 diabetes using a single blood sample. Diabetologia 2021, 64(11), 2432-2444 .

Herold KC, Bundy BN, Long SA, Bluestone JA, DiMeglio LA, Dufort MJ, Gitelman SE, Gottlieb PA, Krischer JP, Linsley PS, Marks JB, Moore W, Moran A, Rodriguez H, Russell WE, Schatz D, Skyler JS, Tsalikian E, Wherrett DK, Ziegler AG, Greenbaum CJ; Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet Study Group (incl. Wentworth, JM). An Anti-CD3 Antibody, Teplizumab, in Relatives at Risk for Type 1 Diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2019; 381:603-613 PMID: 31180194

Wentworth JM, Bediaga NG, Giles LC, Ehlers M, Gitelman SE, Geyer S, Evans-Molina C, Harrison LC and the TrialNet and Immune Tolerance Network Study Groups. Beta-cell function in type 1 diabetes determined from clinical and fasting biochemical variables. Diabetologia 2019 62(1):33-40 PMID: Beta-cell function in type 1 diabetes determined from clinical and fasting biochemical variables PMID: 30167735

Playfair J, Laurie C, Ritchie ME, Brown WA, Burton P, Shaw JE, O’Brien PE. Multidisciplinary diabetes care with and without bariatric surgery in overweight people: A randomised controlled trial. The Lancet. Diabetes & Endocrinol. 2014 2:545-552 PMID: 2473153 Wentworth JM, Playfair J, Laurie C, Ritchie ME, Brown WA, Burton P, Shaw JE, O’Brien PE. Multidisciplinary diabetes care with and without bariatric surgery in overweight people: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2014 Jul;2(7):545-522014. PMID: 24731535

Dr John Wentworth

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