Diabetes Dateline

Drug May Delay Decline in Insulin Production in Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes

Results of a study published in the May 30, 2002, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine suggest that an experimental drug with selective immunosuppressive effects may delay the typical decline in insulin production in people with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. The study, supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), tested the effects of the modified form of the anti-CD3 antibody (anti-CD3 mAb) on 12 patients newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. A control group of 12 people did not receive the drug. Fourteen days of drug treatment resulted in a delay in the progressive decline in insulin production common with type 1 diabetes. One year later, insulin production in the treatment group was higher, the amount of external insulin needed was lower, and A1C results were better than in the control group. Researchers believe that anti-CD3 mAb works by suppressing T cells and stimulating the production of protective immune-signaling molecules. A larger trial of the anti-CD3 antibody is in progress.

The Immune Tolerance Network (ITN) in partnership with Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet will conduct future trials of anti-CD3 mAb. The ITN, an international consortium of more than 70 scientists and clinical investigators, was initially funded in 1999 and funding is extended at least through 2005. Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet is a network of clinical sites for collaborative research with ITN. With funding from the NIAID, NIDDK, and JDRF, ITN researchers are also evaluating promising treatments for modulating the immune system, with applications for islet and kidney transplantation, autoimmune diseases, asthma, and allergies.

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