Hi all,
I happened to read an article in a leading Indian newspaper - New drug for Type 1 diabetes ‘developed’ (http://www.thehindu.com/health/medicine-and-research/article2406444.ece). I am not sure about the authenticity of it. So wanted to share it here to get better insights into it.
Interesting. It sounds logical, unlike some claims for “cures”. They are working on lots of different angles to cure or at least more efficiently treat type 1 diabetes. They all seem to take years longer than predicted, and many never pan out, so I take all “breakthrough” news with a grain of salt, but that may just be my scepticism.
I’m definitely not scientific minded, so maybe some who are will respond as well, but the one flaw I see in this idea is that for many type 1’s by the time they are diagnosed they have had significant beta cell damage already, so my gut tells me that this treatment wouldn’t work with those people. I do see it being applicable for those who have a slower onset and being used as prevention for those with a genetic predisposition for autoimmune attack (such as people with other autoimmune conditions and children of type 1’s.)
I totally agree with taking breakthrough news with a grain of salt, be it out of skepticism or something else. But anything that helps in making the life of type 1 diabetics better, even if only for a very small group of people that could benefit from such a development, is a great thing and will possibly lead to better things for all of us. “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” 
Absolutely! Even if, at the very least, it leads to prevention of future cases of Type 1, that would be enormous!
I don’t expect a cure. That’s not what the Big Pharma wants (sorry for being cynical). I would be happy for a self-administering system that would keep BG in healthy range at all times. That would save my health AS WELL AS make big bucks for Big Pharma.
That sounds amazing It would be great to be one of the lucky ones who get to be on the trial’s I am sure the drug companies will be happy to charge us thousands of dollars for it!! I hope this drug works thank you for posting this it was really informative!
I would be less cynical of the article/press release, if it didn’t blame injected insulin for heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease in T1 diabetics.
This is an attitude which is positively medieval. I know that pre-DCCT there were some subscribers to that idea, but in 2011?
This is pretty cool! Thanks for posting
I think its just poory written. What they meant, presumably, is that T1’s need to take insulin to survive. And after a long course of this drug to survive, it is common for T1’s to end up with complications like heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. I suspect there was either a language issue or simple misunderstanding on the part of author of the article.
Keep the Faith…but It’s Logical Their WILL Be a Cure…
But It may not Be Developed in the USA…
But In countries that have a Finanical Motivation …That have a National Health Care Plan
Like the UK/Europe…
Wonder why the JDRF is there?
I would imagine if we ever get a NHCP and we have some 2 Million T1’s on it and they cost them say $10,000 yr each on ave…will get their attention.Keep spending $20 Billion+ yr to treat us or Spent it once and cure it…
Another Breakthru? The New Poor mans Pump, the Insulin Patch… Delivers a set amount per Hour of Insulin… Imagine the loss Of business sales for the Insulin Pump makers…How about a Watch that Reads your BG’s with just a simple Very tiney probe? Imagine the Loss of sales for Abbot and all the rest in Test strips…
and thanks to the PC and Internet, It has Made alot more Of the Public Aware of it and not just it’s causes, but it’s costs… A Persons Mind is where their $ is…
To speed thing up? I’d just wish alot of Celeberties that had and have T1 would speak out more about it’s Downsides and tell everyone how miserable it is… Not be so nice and brave about it and Postive… But, they don’t want everyone else to Think they are Weak and A Sickie and feel sorry for them…and probably Not get anymore Work either…
The myth that “insulin causes complications” is more widespread than you think. As in “Aunt Flo had diabetes for years, a few weeks after they started her on insulin her kidneys went out and they amputated her feet.”
When I see the myth perpetuated in press releases it’s even sadder. I realize they want to accelerate support for a cure (in particular their cure) but myths aren’t the way to do it.
There’s also a big bias of cynicism on my part to be overcome. After 30 years of T1 and 30 years of “don’t worry the cure is just a few years away” it’s hard to be optimistic. I can invoke just a little optimism that maybe T1 will be preventable someday, or maybe that recently diagnosed T1’s can regain beta cell production through ongoing injections of a drug that suppresses the part of the immune system killing the beta cells, and it seems to me like this “cure” might be in this category (again hard to separate the hyperbole from any eventual facts in the press release) if everything works out just right. The selling pitch of “prevent insulin from causing complications” might be appropriate for that market.