immune therapies

A key part of JDRF's research is aimed at stopping or reversing the immune system response that causes diabetes: the attack on insulin-secreting cells in the pancreas. This attack must be stopped so that any therapies involving replacing or regenerating insulin-producing cells can work long-term.

Cancer Drugs Reverse Type 1 Diabetes in Mice
JDRF-funded scientists found that two common cancer drugs were successful in preventing and reversing type 1 diabetes in mice. The drugs Gleevec and Sutent kept prediabetic mice from developing type 1 diabetes and put 80 percent of diabetic mice in remission. The drugs work by blocking tyrosine kinases, enzymes that trigger cell growth and are also involved in cell communication. The scientists said the drugs appear to block receptors of a tyrosine kinase known as platelet-derived growth factor receptor, which regulates cell growth and division and plays a key role in inflammation. The study was conducted as part of the Immune Tolerance Network, a JDRF-funded international research consortium. In collaboration with the network, JDRF will continue to follow progress in this field and will explore the potential to translate these findings into treatments. Drs. Cedric Louvet and Jeffrey Bluestone at the University of California, San Francisco carried out this work.

What this may mean for people with type 1 diabetes: The findings hold promise that these drugs may be an effective treatment for type 1 diabetes (and potentially other autoimmune disorders). However, extensive clinical trials will be necessary to determine the drugs' safety and effectiveness in humans.

Potential Clues to Type 1 Diabetes Development Uncovered
In a study in mice, scientists found that low levels of the protein interleukin-2 may lie at the heart of islet destruction in type 1 diabetes. The research showed that low interleukin-2 levels affected the relative number of two important immune cell populations involved in the development of type 1 diabetes. Treatment with the right dosing of IL-2 appeared to correct this imbalance and prevent diabetes. The results raise the possibility that stimulating the immune system (rather than suppressing it) may be an effective treatment strategy for type 1 diabetes. This study was led by Drs. Qizhi Tang, Jason Adams, and Jeffrey Bluestone at the University of California, San Francisco.

What this may mean for people with type 1 diabetes: This study shows that IL-2 may be a potential treatment for type 1 diabetes. However, the study's authors caution that determining the optimal approach in humans could be difficult and suggested that additional therapies be used in combination with IL-2 to produce the desired effect. This concept is being tested in a phase I clinical trial supported by the Immune Tolerance Network and TrialNet, a JDRF-funded international network of researchers exploring ways to prevent, delay, and reverse type 1 diabetes. The study is looking at using a combination of IL-2 and the drug Rapamycin to treat new-onset type 1 diabetes.

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