A new treatment that is currently in clinical trial may help slow or reverse Type 1 diabetes, according to a video news report from TV station KPIX, a CBS affiliate in San Francisco (video is on right side of the page)
Essentially, researchers say that so far, two weeks of treatment has shown to stop the destruction of insulin producing cells in the body for a year. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in whih the body mistakenly attacks and destroys insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin is needed to regulate blood sugar levels in the body. This new drug aims to stop that immune response.
In addition to reversing the disease or helping to minimize its complications, researchers also hope the treatment may be able to help predict and prevent diabetes. A second trial is about to start to see if the treatment is effective at preventing the disease in those most at risk.
Although the treatment is designed for people with Type 1 diabetes, the news report indicated that it may have applications for Type 2 diabetes, a condition in which the body doesn’t properly use the insulin it produces. Researchers say that mice showed a decreased need for insulin.
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