A new study, published online in The New England Journal of Medicine, confirmed a treatment to be effective for Type-1 Diabetes, which can reduce the risk factor for up to 2 years. The researchers found that this treatment, which affects the immune system of a person is highly effective in slowing down the risk factor of the development of clinical Type-1 diabetes by two years or even more.
The study was conducted by an international collaboration, Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet with an anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (teplizumab). The main aim was to prevent or delay the risk of Type 1 Diabetes among individuals. Lisa Spain, the Project Scientist from US National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), said the findings show positive effects on people, especially the youngsters, who should get early treatment to get prevented or delayed from being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. The main aim is to help people lower the risk of a very common disease.
To conduct this study, researchers included 76 people. They were aged between 4-49 years. These people were relatives of those who had Type-1 diabetes, had at least two types of diabetes-related autoantibodies (proteins made by the immune system), and abnormal glucose (sugar) tolerance. Randomly, some of these people were asked to take the treatment called teplizumab while others were sent to the control room where they received a placebo. Everyone received a glucose tolerance test until the study was completed or they developed Type-1 Diabetes, whichever was earlier.
72 percent of those in the control group developed Type-1 Diabetes as compared to 43 percent among those who got teplizumab. Also, the median time differs from at least 12 months between both. While those in the control group were diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes in 12 months, those who got the treatment developed the same after 48 months or more. It was said that this is the first time a treatment has come up providing delay in this diagnosis.
