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There’s new hope on the horizon for those with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Biopharmaceutical company TetraGenetics is working on an innovative drug therapy that can stop or prevent the body’s immune system from attacking its own pancreas.
How T1D Develops
Most people who develop T1D do so as a result of a particular virus that triggers an exaggerated autoimmune response.
In the pancreas, the cells that produce insulin are called beta cells. In people that have a particular type of gene associated with T1D, the beta cells have a quality (an antigen) that closely resembles the antigens found in the virus.
When you are exposed to the virus, your immune system activates its T cells to start combating the infection by creating antibodies. However, these antibodies can’t distinguish between the beta cells and the virus cells. They look too similar, so the antibodies destroy them all in an attempt to protect against the viral infection.
Unfortunately, by killing off your beta cells, your immune system has also eliminated your body’s ability to produce insulin. You are now diabetic.
Both Genes and Virus Necessary for T1D to Develop
There are four viruses that can cause the autoimmune cascade that results in T1D: German measles, mumps, rotavirus, and the B4 strain of the coxsackie B virus. These viruses all possess antigens that are similar to the antigens in the beta cells of the pancreas.
It’s important to note that not everyone who is exposed to these viruses will develop T1D. You have to already possess the genetic makeup associated with T1D.
If you do carry the T1D genes but don’t get any of these viruses, you may never actually develop the disease. You have to have both.
In other words, if you do have these genes and you contract one of the viruses, then you will likely have to inject insulin for the rest of your life…unless a treatment or cure is found.
New Drug Therapy Could Interrupt the Autoimmune Attack
That’s what TetraGenetics is working on. They have found a way to block the destruction of the beta cells during an immune response. Their approach involves a drug that creates a different type of antibody, one that inhibits the activity of the immune system’s antibodies.
The company has discovered several drugs that create different antibodies that appear to have similar effects on the immune system’s antibodies. Now they need to determine which has the greatest likelihood of success with the fewest negative side effects. Once they’ve decided on the best drug, then they can seek approval to begin testing on humans.
Funding for this Research is Essential
Unfortunately, research is expensive and every step of this process requires funding. Thankfully, TetraGenetics just received an investment from JDRF T1D Fund that will allow them to continue this line of research. JDRF T1D Fund is a venture philanthropy that partners with private commercial research facilities and foundations to bring to market drugs, devices, diagnostic tools, and vaccines to help those living with T1D.
The chairman and CEO of TetraGenetics, Douglas Kahn, said, “Support from the JDRF T1D Fund couldn’t have come at a better time, enabling us to select the best of our antibodies and advance our lead drug candidate in preparation for clinical trials. The investment funding and access to JDRF experts will significantly accelerate our T1D drug development program.”
This approach, if successful, will help doctors stop the development of T1D. Since the autoimmune process can take years to kill off all the pancreas’ beta cells, there’s a chance it could be interrupted. This would allow some beta cells to be saved, thereby preventing the development of type 1 diabetes.
The company’s press release also said that this therapy “may contribute, in combination with other therapies, to an eventual cure.” This is definitely something to feel hopeful about, but remember, too, this research is still in a very early stage.
Stay tuned for more developments as this research continues.
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