Our friends over at diaTribe, a monthly newsletter about diabetes research and products, have just published a book with the ADA, Targeting a Cure for Type 1 Diabetes: How Long Will We Have to Wait? To celebrate publishing Targeting a Cure, diaTribe is giving away 30 eBook copies! You can enter the giveaway here.
Targeting a Cure covers the latest research directed toward curing type 1 diabetes, presenting both the challenges and the breakthroughs. Targeting a Cure is written from a patient perspective and is rich in detail on all the most recent developments in the field. With a foreword by Dr. Robert Ratner, Chief Scientific & Medical Officer at the ADA, an introduction by Dr. Aaron Kowalski, VP, Treatment Therapies at JDRF, and a conclusion by Kelly Close, Editor-in-Chief of diaTribe, Targeting a Cure is a thorough resource that reveals where we stand in the search for a cure for type 1 diabetes and where we are headed
Depending on how precisely we define our terms and how careful we are about semantics, I'm not sure there will ever be a "cure" in the strict meaning of the word.
Regarding Type 1, I am certain as one can reasonably be that some day we will be able to recreate healthy beta cells and block the autoimmune reaction that attacks them. But I doubt this will be possible without ongoing, lifelong treatment. In other words, instead of taking insulin for the rest of your life, you'll have to take something that holds back the autoimmune reaction. Stop taking it, and you'll be in trouble. That's perfect control, but no matter how perfect it is, it isn't a cure. Those are two different things. It's much like the "cocktail" of drugs people take today to prevent the HIV virus from progressing into the full blown disease. It works, but you can't ever stop.
That is not a "cure". A cure is something you do that eliminates the problem so you can just forget about it. E.g., take the penicillin until your pneumonia is gone, and walk away. You're done -- cured.
For Type 2, IMHOP, the picture is even less clear. Until we reach the point where we can manipulate the underlying genes . . . .
Love to be proven wrong, but that's how it looks from here.
Thanks for the post, Emily. I entered the giveaway for the book.
David (dns) has done a great job providing a specfic rational answer and carefully dilineated between type 1 and type 2. my blessings and thanks.
I do not ever sense there will be a cure of type 1. I have a different vision. I believe there will someday be a vaccine. By that I mean a vaccine to prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes. I do not see any way current type 1's will be 'cured' instead I sense that once the gene sequence is identified that triggers the type 1 autoimmune response then that sequence will be targeted by a vaccine that will be given to us nice folks who have an auto immune system which is susceptible to the virus.
Knock out the virus stop the immune response. Or knock out the immune response and stop the disease. cure? No, no cure, we who have type 1 will likely finish our lives with type 1. My grandchildren, I pray they will be spared.
I cannot comment on type 2, I suppose I need to broaden my learning (a lot).
I'm very skeptical about our prospects but hope I win the book so I can learn something about where we're at in the search! Thanks for sharing the link!!
the twelfth of never
I find it very interesting that the response is basically NO CURE. (I guess T1s just learn quickly to be very skeptical as well as analytical.) If my pancreas shutdown, 50+ years ago, what are the options? Mine is toast. A cure was never important for me--I wish it for the future--but it will never change my life. I just want to be as normal as possible and live a long life.
Can we cure it? With LOTS of money, much good luck and the grace of God--still not completely convinced it will ever be gone.
No disease has ever been cured, so I have no hopes for T1.
I agree, those of us with T1 will perhaps have a better therapy, less monitoring and reaction, but will not have a cure. ie, Exsulin, ingap.......beta cell regeneration. Much easier to take a daily medication and not monitor your sugars and have hypos to correct.
If it's any consolation, I think we're pretty close to a cure for non-diabetes.
Haha, right? How depressing…
Much easier to take a daily medication and not monitor your sugars and have hypos to correct. 'That would be a wonderful "close enough to a cure" for me. No more spikes and no more damage to the body from elevated blood glucose. A low of "65ish" or so every few days is definitely managable if that and a daily drug is all we would have to do. I can see that in our futures.
God Bless,
Brunetta
I'm hearing all this talk about a cure this and a cure that. Me, personally as a T-1, I'm done with the lip service....
And they probably won't. Why do you think they get paid so much in the medical field? There are some who actually want a cure and there are those who are capitalizing on others' demise. Sad, but true in many cases....
what the HELL is non-diabetes???
I am with you on this! :) enough lip service! I have been a T1 for 31 yrs. now, been "Dead" & brought back 14 times now, I am tired of "Knocking" on Heavens door and being told it is NOT my time, I must return back down the TUNNEL and go back!!!I know that the "Cure" is new Stemcells, WHY can't we ALL get them? Cuz the "Money" is IN treating us! Not curing us! Damn SAD that Money rules OUR CURE! :(