Sarah Silverstein Mackintosh doesn’t remember a life without diabetes, having been diagnosed at age 9. “You learn from a young age how to live with this disease, and that insulin isn’t a cure, it’s a form of life support,” she says. “Diabetes has shaped me to be the person I am today. I had to grow up pretty quickly to understand this disease.”

Mackintosh knows all too well the toll diabetes can also take on that person’s family. She remembers her parents having to take precautions so she could do simple things like spend the night at a friend’s house or visit a family member.

Mackintosh is one of the 434,800 Alabamians living with diabetes, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 200,000 more people may have the condition and are unaware of it.

Diabetes is a public health problem of epidemic proportions. Alabama is particularly hard-hit with over 15% of adults having diabetes, and experts predict the number will reach over 18% by 2030. The statistics are even higher for Native Americans and Black/African Americans.

The UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center (UCDC) is at the forefront of science aimed at discovering a curative therapy for this chronic, life-threatening disease. Every day, UCDC investigators are exploring the underlying mechanisms of diabetes to identify novel treatment targets. Led by Center Director Anath Shalev, M.D., the UCDC’s track record of discovery is impressive.

Sarah Silverstein Mackintosh (second from right) with (left to right) Medical Properties Trust Executive Vice President and COO Emmett McLean; David Silverstein, Sarah’s father and a longtime UCDC supporter; and MPT President and CEO Edward Aldag Jr.
One of these discoveries was by Shalev herself. She discovered the protein TXNIP, short for thioredoxin-interacting protein, is elevated in diabetes. This elevation causes the pancreatic beta cells to die, leaving the body unable to produce enough insulin to maintain normal blood glucose levels. As with all good investigations, one discovery leads to another, and in 2018, Shalev completed an exciting human trial in collaboration with Fernando Ovalle, M.D., director of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, aimed at suppressing TXNIP with a repurposed, common blood-pressure drug. The results of this trial have immediate impact and show tremendous potential for the management of diabetes, and these findings are expected to lead to even greater discoveries that further enhance patient care.

This type of research aims to impact patients like Mackintosh, who has worked for Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (MPT) for over five years. She approached her colleagues at MPT with the idea of supporting the UCDC. In 2017, MPT gifted the UCDC with $2.5 million and gifted another $5 million in 2021.

“More than 30 million Americans have diabetes and another almost 90 million Americans have prediabetes,” says Edward Aldag Jr., chair, president, and CEO of Medical Properties Trust, Inc. “When we first learned of the research that was being done at UAB to possibly cure diabetes, we were astounded. The positive results UAB has with their research couldn’t be ignored. To be based here in Alabama and have the ability to assist UAB in a potential cure was an easy decision for us. We are proud to fund the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center and help translate that research into a cure for diabetes. This could be a game-changer for so many people.”

These gifts will significantly help develop research into novel approaches to combat the diabetes epidemic. Shalev says this philanthropic donation will enable more translational discoveries and scientific and clinically relevant advances in the field of diabetes.

“These kinds of gifts are transformational because they allow us to build upon our discoveries, aim high, and ultimately change the landscape of diabetes research and treatment,” says Shalev. “For decades we have worked on better understanding the mechanisms of diabetes and identifying novel therapeutic targets. Now we can double down on these efforts, focus on finding new treatment approaches, and work on moving them into the clinic. Ultimately we want all people affected by diabetes being able to benefit from these developments.”

To support the UCDC and help Alabamians living with diabetes, contact Christian Smith, director of development, at 205-934-1974 or christiannsmith@uabmc.edu. – Jessica Martindale