I am advising everyone on this board to donate at least $20 or whatever you can to Dr Faustman. This research needs to move forward like RIGHT NOW and she needs funding. Hopefully you’ll thank me later.
I dropped a C note for her trouble. Bless her soul.
Yes, yes, yes! Also, if you’re in the Boston area, you can donate T1 blood for her testing. I just “liked” Faustman Lab on Facebook and signed up for the e-newsletter, too.
A most worthy research project. Several members have donated blood & raved about Dr. Faustman’s commitment. She’s brilliant. I donated. Am all for grassroot efforts.
Back up for the unaware! http://www.faustmanlab.org
Done.
I desperately wish I lived in the Boston area so that I could participate.
Keep the $ comming people. This could be our only chance for disease reversal.
I just donated (anonymously of course 
Matter of fact, I have to drive to Boston this coming Thursday to give another sample.
I really hope this trial works out, but in the last several years of my attendance there, I have seen less and less activity. It really could be that I just happen to show up on vacation days or something.
I still firmly believe in the drive of Dr. Faustman though.
If EVERY Type 1 (or family) in the developed countries could donate at least the $20, then the funding would certainly be there. It would also encourage foundations such as the Iacocca foundation (which has donated tremendously already) to be encouraged to see that even everyday people would chip in some $, they might up the stakes too.
Does anyone know of a good site to start a drive to fund Dr Faustman’s research? I am sooooo busy that I can’t find the time to fully explore an avenue such as this. If someone has a good idea, please pass it along. I will get behind it 100%.
I don’t know if you mean web site or physical site, but if there’s anything to do in the Northern NJ/NYC area, I’d be glad to help out. Not that I have any experience in fundraising, whatsoever.
Okay, so I read the link. Why have I never heard of these “disease causing T cells” before? So I searched the web for info on this and I found that several other researchers claim to be onto a cure by also suppressing these T cells.
I don’t get it. How is this going to repair the dead non-insulin producing islet cells in a T1’s pancreas? I just can’t wrap my head around how dead islet cells are going to be brought back to life and start producing insulin again.
Also, this is only phase II of Dr. Faustman’s research. Suppose she’ll need another ??? million to start phase III?
The only cure I’ve ever heard of that made any sense to me is islet cell transplants.
Would anyone care to enlighten me?
Hi GinaY,
I don’t have a lot of time at the moment, and I am by FAR no expert on this subject; but after watching this interview with Dr Faustman I felt like she was on to something. (Warning, it’s like 50 minutes long)
Diabetes Daily Interview with Dr Denise Faustman
I know she has her detractors, but after meeting her in person and knowing how fervent she is to helping not just us Type 1’s but anyone with an autoimmune disease, I can only hope and pray she is onto something.
Thanks for thinking skeptically. You’re right - this won’t repair dead islet cells. It has the potential to help those in early diagnosis as a preventative therapy.
^ You could be right but you could be wrong. If you read the review of phase 1 the results showed with a small dosage of BCG spaced 4 weeks apart there was everything she was looking for including increase in c-peptide and some natural Insulin secretion from longstanding diabetics. That being said I am certainly not holding my breath that this will end up being the holy grail type 1 treatment yet on the other hand I think if DR F felt this was way too much of a long shot she’d move on. No point in being closed minded about its potential as its probably at least a 50/50 shot BCG by itself or combined with a regenerative therapy could be our savior. The only way to find out is try. Funding is essential so I’ll say it again donate what you can!
Have a look here: http://bcgclinicaltrials.com/diabetes.aspx
Gary,
I have been following this since the news was published here
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-06/mgh-mgh061711.php
and I thought that Dr D Faustman had got the funding for phase 2 but to my surprise when reading your post she has not got enough yet ?
I have just done my bit !
Date: 8/6/2011
Tax-deductible amount: $60.00
In support of: Support the Faustman Lab: Cure Diabetes Now Fund
comon you lot what’s your life worth?
this is the nearest thing i have seen in 32 years and that’s a long time hoping, believe me.
^ My point exactly!
She does have enough to start phase 2 which is great but will need much more to complete. The problem being hypothetically if BCG on its own could eventually prove to temporarily relieve the patient of Insulin injections Pharma would have no interest in backing it because its a loosing proposition for them. I mean yeah they could way upcharge for the vaccine which in my guess we’d still probably need at least a handful of times a year but at $15 a shot it would kill the diabetes industry profits. Of course as the patient that would be the icing on the cake for us. Thank god for Iaccoca believing in Faustman or we’d have no chance with this what so ever.
Thanks for the details Gary, unfortunately I don’t understand the gist of the politics here because I thought that BCG is now available as a generic drug, so would that not make it easily available to all at a reasonable price?
It is but if it turned out to be an effective treatment for diabetes it would likely be re-marketed and re packaged for that purpose. The price would likely increase due to high demand but this is just my guess. The big question is really can the vaccine not only be effective enough to offer Insulin independence but also not cause any side effects using it long term? Even if it does temporarily allow discontinuation of Insulin it may be tricky to figure out how often it needs to be repeated to keep us off insulin? There is no way in my mind it would be able to keep diabetes at bay with a few shots of it. Also as Dr Faustman stated in the past there may be another part of the treatment needed to keep the islets regenerating. Though there are a few potential regenerative therapies in the pipeline they are not ready for use and they are with other companies.