| "Vaccine" prevents type 1 diabetes onset in mice
By Karla Gale
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Type 1 diabetes occurs in genetically
susceptible people when a faulty immune response targets and destroys
the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Researchers
have now been able to stop this "autoimmune" damage happening
in mice.
An inflammatory body chemical called macrophage migration inhibitory
factor (MIF) is associated with autoimmune diseases and with septic
shock, Dr. Yousef Al-Abed explained to Reuters Health.
Together with his team, Al-abed, at North-Shore-Long Island Jewish
Research Institute in Manhasset, New York, developed a compound
-- ISO-1 -- that binds to MIF, thus blocking its inflammatory effects.
He presented their findings this week at the American Chemical Society's
annual meeting in Anaheim, California
When administered to mice before they were treated chemically to
induce diabetes, ISO-1 completely prevented the onset of high blood
sugar levels. And in mice bred genetically to develop diabetes,
90 percent of the animals were protected.
The protection was long lasting; 10 days of treatment prevented
diabetes occurring for at least the next 50 days. "That's why
we call it a vaccine-like drug," Al-Abed said. Doses 10 times
higher than those required to prevent diabetes appeared to be harmless
to the animals.
He suggested that people at risk for developing diabetes would
perhaps benefit the most from early treatment with ISO-1, and they
could be identified by genetic screening at birth or by testing
for antibody markers later in life.
His group hopes to start testing ISO-1 in dogs and monkeys within
the next year, in preparation for moving into early human safety
trials.
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