DRC & Research News

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T1D Vaccine

Type 1 Diabetes Vaccine Shows Positive Results

In an effort to prevent or delay the onset of type 1 diabetes, researchers have been striving to create an effective vaccine. One of the challenges is that there are many different subgroups of type 1 diabetes, meaning not all patients respond the same. A recent study found that patients who had a specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) showed a “positive and statistically significant dose-dependent treatment response” to the Diamyd vaccine, especially when given four doses rather than two.

Compared to patients who received a placebo, those who received a higher number of doses of the Diamyd vaccine had a “statistically significant treatment effect of approximately 60%” within 15 months. These findings may help to advance the development of antigen-specific immunotherapy options for individuals with type 1 diabetes leading to improved treatment or management of the disease.

Diabetes Research Connection (DRC) is interested to see how this vaccine continues to evolve moving forward and what it could mean for the prevention of type 1 diabetes in the future. Though not involved with this study, the DRC provides early career scientists with funding necessary to conduct novel, peer-reviewed research projects around type 1 diabetes in an effort to improve understanding, prevention, treatment, and management of the disease. To learn more or donate to a current project, visit https://diabetesresearchconnection.org.

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OUR PROJECTS

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Role of the integrated stress response in type 1 diabetes pathogenesis
In individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D), the insulin-producing beta cells are spontaneously destroyed by their own immune system. The trigger that provokes the immune system to destroy the beta cells is unknown. However, accumulating evidence suggest that signals are perhaps first sent out by the stressed beta cells that eventually attracts the immune cells. Stressed cells adapt different stress mitigation systems as an adaptive response. However, when these adaptive responses go awry, it results in cell death. One of the stress response mechanisms, namely the integrated stress response (ISR) is activated under a variety of stressful stimuli to promote cell survival. However, when ISR is chronically activated, it can be damaging to the cells and can lead to cell death. The role of the ISR in the context of T1D is unknown. Therefore, in this DRC funded study, we propose to study the ISR in the beta cells to determine its role in propagating T1D.
Wearable Skin Fluorescence Imaging Patch for the Detection of Blood Glucose Level on an Engineered Skin Platform
zhang
A Potential Second Cure for T1D by Re-Educating the Patient’s Immune System
L Ferreira
Validating the Hypothesis to Cure T1D by Eliminating the Rejection of Cells From Another Person by Farming Beta Cells From a Patient’s Own Stem Cells
Han Zhu
Taming a Particularly Lethal Category of Cells May Reduce/Eliminate the Onset of T1D
JRDwyer 2022 Lab 1
Can the Inhibition of One Specific Body Gene Prevent Type 1 Diabetes?
Melanie
Is Cholesterol Exacerbating T1D by Reducing the Functionality and Regeneration Ability of Residual Beta Cells?
Regeneration Ability of Residual Beta Cells
A Call to Question… Is T1D Caused by Dysfunctionality of Two Pancreatic Cells (β and α)?
Xin Tong
Novel therapy initiative with potential path to preventing T1D by targeting TWO components of T1D development (autoimmune response and beta-cell survival)
flavia pecanha