The Cure

Offathedykeman said:

My goodness where has the research been

Click to expand...

Go here —> https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/th...y-a-root-cause-of-autoimmune-diabetes.154040/
Let’s get to the root, even if it hurts.

Hi @SamJB - always happy to have a chat. There's lots that has been done.

Cbmod said:

Interesting question. The answer essentially is that it is possible. This trial is probably in coeliac because it is less complicated- gluten causes immune cells to release antibodies that damage the epithelial cells. You can monitor this well. However with T1 there are so many different factors, until very recently we didn't know the structure we respond to etc. T1 is also more complicated to treat- we would need to regenerate or transplant beta islet cells, and then use this method to stop the response against them.

Using hookworm is difficult because that infection in itself is unpleasant and immune suppression is not the only consequence. Although on balance most would argue worth it. What many people are working to do is to isolate what chemical released from hook worm and the like causes immune suppression and use that on its own.

Click to expand...

I gather the hookworm infection is treated once the specific part of the immune system has been activated. And thank you for your explanation. Hope springs eternal !!

Mbaker said:

I am suggesting an international joined up approach. I believe "we" have the right mix of ingredients. Being in IT I know we have the compute power (many years ago exponential amounts (Big Blue for example); and I feel the nano engineering capabilities are there as well as the potential intelligence - we just need the politics, will and bodies to come together. I take your point on the pecking order issue.

Click to expand...

Apologies, my notifications don't appear to be working properly!

I think that is a great idea. Looking at the progress people have made making a closed loop system as a community in a relatively short amount of time is outstanding. An international collaborative team with far more resources has so much potential.

kitedoc said:

I gather the hookworm infection is treated once the specific part of the immune system has been activated. And thank you for your explanation. Hope springs eternal !!

Click to expand...

Fab, thank you for the info!

There has been some progress in research through Dr Faustmans' BCG vaccine trials. We are still a long way off, it is extremely complex and each persons body and DNA is different so one cure might not fit all. We don't even fully know the cause or how we can cure it, so therefore hardly know what it is we need to cure, if we trigger the immune system to stop attacking the pancreas beta cells, then what? Do they regrow? Do we need transplants, there is a monumental task in curing type 1 diabetes

SamJB said:

I write software for clinical research; not infection, but oncology & respiratory mostly, as well as some diabetes research. Finding a cure, as in a biological one that reverses the immune attack on the pancreas, is incredibly hard and I reckon is possibly decades away. Add to the complexity, it takes 10 years and $1bn to bring a drug to market, as mentioned already.

The short term hope, and one that I am getting frustrated with, is the Artificial Pancreas. It seems to be taking ages; I would've expected something on the market by now. It's as good as a cure for me, as it takes away the management of diabetes.

Other "cures", are Smart Insulin that becomes active once it encounters blood glucose and stem cells; both of which are far off, but closer than a cure of the immune system, in my opinion.

But, yeah, I've had enough of diabetes now too and I've "only" had it for 15 years.

Click to expand...

I got very excited by the smart insulin possibility wished this was on the horizon.

Dixon1995 said:

if we trigger the immune system to stop attacking the pancreas beta cells, then what? Do they regrow? Do we need transplants, there is a monumental task in curing type 1 diabetes

Click to expand...

It is not only the beta cells, that are the tart target site within the pancreas, there is a bunch of molecules and enzymes, that got attacked, which makes it really nasty, because those exist in other parts of the body as well and get attacked there. So it’s not just the beta cells.

Regrowth? The body can regrow any cell from a stem cell. Last week I have been turning of my pump for up to 5 hours without significant BS raise. This means there is insulin, and there are beta cells still working. So once the anti-bodies against pancreas target site molecules are gone the body can do what it can do. If it needs a little help they started creating beta cells from gallbladder tissue, just last year, which means that you can extract gallbladder tissue from your own body and outside the body have a lab grow beta cells from it and then inject the beta cells, which are not going to be attacked by your immune system.

This is my hope that it works like that, and because D1 is such a nasty desease, I more than that hope for the real specialist’s help with all the nasty details and pitfalls, drawbacks and strategy backsliding: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Plasmapheresis ?

Would it work removes antibodies from plasma but only relatively short term.

And it's not that comfortable a procedure well not one of my favorite things any way.