What are your thoughts on this article?
I've seen this posted in a few places and I disagree with the article. I think there is some excellent research going on, but the article is badly written. There is talk of medications and transplants. Neither of these things is a cure, only a different form of treatment. They talk about maybe needing less immunosuppression with a transplant. I am a multi organ transplant patient and I can tell you that transplant is not a cure.
Also, it's not as simple as existing immuno drugs to prevent the progression of T1 if it's caught early enough. This has been tried before and it didn't work. It would require an entirely new series of drugs, and those would probably have similar scary side effects.
Basically, I think it's an example of bad reporting and blowing things out of proportion. They've only seen this in mice and as usual it's "ten years away", although they don't say that.
Suppression is not cure. Control is not cure. "Less" immunosuppression is not a cure, just a more efficient control. Etc. Knowing the cause of something does not guarantee you can cure it. It doesn't even necessarily mean you can control it.
I agree, a badly written article. A potpourri of science woo, journalistic hyperbole, and wishful thinking.
I am so sorry that these PR articles about research get people thinking that something big has been discovered and that it is about to make a difference in diabetes treatment or cure. I don't mean to discourage you from hoping for a cure or even a more effective treatment. But please keep in mind this principle. No single study will ever be accepted by the scientific community as being "truth." There is not enough space to further explain this but in essence, a finding must be replicated using robust research methods, then it must go to treatment development and the treatments must be verified and replicated, and then studied in large clinical trials with representative populations. Over years.
I went to the blog where the announcement was made, titled Silencing immune attacks in type 1 diabetes. That is what I read for my comments below.
This refers to a study that has not been verified by other studies, to my knowledge. And it is basic research, not clinical, meaning it is still at the cellular level. Plus, it, as common for basic research, used animal tissues. We do not know if the same would be true in human cells. I can't get to the actual study as I don't have a subscription to Diabetes.
Clues to the early stage of the research are found in the blog referred to:
"It could potentially change the face of diabetes treatment in children." Note 'could' not will change. This is terrible optimism but is typical of PR about research.
“By identifying the ATP/P2X7R pathway as the early mechanism in the body that fires up an alloimmune response, we found the root cause of diabetes,” says Fiorina. “With the cause identified, we can now focus on treatment options. Everything from drug therapies to transplants that require less immunosuppression is being explored.”
Note: has another study had the same results as Fiorina about this so-called "root cause of diabetes?" It would be great if this were true. But if it is true, no one knows yet how to affect this ATP/P2X7R pathway to either prevent or treat diabetes. This, again, is a cellular study in the lab. Far different from clinical studies in humans. And we don't know how good the study was or whether a replicated study would have the same finding.
"And while Fiorina and his team are still a few years away from testing these therapies in children, the implications for their success would be substantial."
Note: they are at the very least "a few years away." In fact, they are a looonnng way because of all the other studies that would need to be done in the interim. Implications are mostly guesses of what could be if all their assumptions and findings are correct.
Read the very last paragraph in the Boston Magazine article cited. This is similar to what we have been reading in article closings for 50+ years.
I am again sorry to be so plain spoken about this.
On the positive side, the journal Diabetes is a respected journal so why don't we see what other researchers' reaction are to the study. Note any letters to the editor in future editions; check out related studies in pubmed; and so on. You can also search the researcher's name in pubmed for other articles he has written or co-written. And, if articles in the next few years refer to this Diabetes article and the pathway studied then we can be more certain that Fiorina is on a good track.
When they completed the Human Genome Project in 2002 (I think), they said, "hey, we know everything about the human body now--we'll cure everything!" When they identified the genes that cause cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia, they insisted that no one would ever get sick from these diseases again, because once you identify the gene, you know exactly what to do.
The truth is that we don't have the technology to target genetic abnormalities. Sometimes we can target a problem through its pathway. Those, however, are "treatments" and not "cures".
Unfortunately, there's another problem here--immune modulation. Have you ever heard the list of side effects for Enbrel? For Planequil? For Humira? These are immune-related drugs used for the treatment of things like rheumatoid arthritis. Guess what? Leukemia and lymphoma are fairly high on the list.
The problem is that we just don't know enough to predict outcomes for drugs like these with certainty. It's sad, and very, very scary, that more often than not, adverse effects aren't known about until the drug has been around for ten years or more. Then they discover, all of a sudden, that Vioxx causes heart attacks.
Unless I was truly in dire straits, I wouldn't take an immunotherapy-related drug for this reason. (Also, my immune system is crappy as it is, and I don't need to annoy it more.)
As others before me have said, this article is more about optimistic journalism than facts.
I agree, transplantation is not a cure, it's simply trading one set of problems for another. A cure is being free of medications to live. You still require multiple medications when you receive a transplant. Sorry but I've been Type 1 for almost 30 years and from day 1, it has been oh a cure is just a few years away. I mean I guess some people need hope, and that's great, and I'm not saying it wouldn't be wonderful. But I'm a realist too. Even if it DOES happen, I imagine for me, at this point 30 years out, it would be to little too late.
I used to infuse Remicade when I worked in gastroenterology for our Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis patients. You are absolutely right. These drugs come with huge side effects. And the things they are made out of...eeek.
Remicade, cytoxan, and methotrexate are all used to treat autoimmune diseases. They are also all used to treat cancer. I should know--my mother received every one of them for chemo. These drugs are good at what they do, but the side effects are horrendous.
Yes, it would be an option of last resort for me when you look at what the side effects and risks involved are. Given taking some insulin and being careful with what I eat versus loading up on on some of these immune modulation drugs. I'll take my insulin and being careful with what I eat.
Probably from overeating sugars and starches and beating up your pancreas over time or maybe it's just me....
Sorry, but that's the rumor about type 2. I didn't beat up my pancreas at the age of 2 years old to get type 1. This article is about type 1. It's a different disease.
For those of us who got Type 1 without the GAD anti-body present, I think the article may be wrong.
There was another article for people like me (type 1 comes about in your 30's) that looks interesting (and scary) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131022091721.htm where they say late in life type 1 is virus caused.
This would make some sense for me, as I had started working in a group with a late in life T1 when I came down with it, and when I switched groups, another person in that group came down with late in life T1.
There could be many causes. I doubt there is a silver bullet for all of us.