The T1D Prevention Study (PREVENT1D) at University of Milan aims to enhance the understanding of T1D pathogenesis and natural progression while establishing a prevention program at Lombardy’s largest university. The study focuses on identifying at-risk individuals among T1D relatives, and facilitating their enrollment in future prevention trials. Over the next 12 months, we expect to identify approximately 25 individuals with Stage 1 or Stage 2 T1D, eligible for inclusion in prevention studies. We plan to establish a PREVENT1D outpatient clinic at Fatebenefratelli Hospital in Milan, where an endocrinologist and a research nurse will screen 500 relatives of T1D patients over a 12-month period. These individuals will be recruited from the ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, where we currently manage over 2,000 T1D patients. Inclusion criteria include first-degree relatives of T1D patients, aged 2.5 to 60 years. Exclusion criteria are:
(i) previous or current use of medications for hyperglycemia/diabetes management;
(ii) current use of immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory therapies, including steroids;
(iii) known severe active diseases or conditions likely to limit life expectancy;
and (iv) inability to comply with the study protocol.