When people say there is a cure for diabetes.

jgordon5 said:

There's also quite a lot of anecdotal evidence of dramatic cures or at least long lasting remission from a raw vegan diet.
I don't think it would be the oncologistsnwho would know about a cure. Pharmaceutical companies would though.

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The thing about anecdotal evidence is that it's not very reliable. There's no way to know what other factors were involved, and often when people really want something to work, they believe it does. Also, anecdotal evidence doesn't tell you how many people it didn't work for, or who had bad side effects. For these reasons, well designed controlled studies are needed before treatments can be recommended.

Robinredbreast said:

Lets try and keep on the topic of type 1 cure any other debates ( and we know what happens there ) should be the start of a new thread.

TTFN

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Cancer cure was mentioned in the OP.

Does anybody get slightly annoyed that while we still think we deserve a life, take every protocol to go and do things, that media and the science community seem to support young sufferers like children, and no im not saying they shouldn't receive help etc, but where has logical thought gone to assisting the middle aged/ older sufferers so they might be able to be around lead better lives to care and teach young children, I mean to 'teach' in general not just about Diabetes. A.

When people say "there is a cure for Diabetes" they typically mean "Type 2 diabetes". I don't think what they have is really even a 'real' cure, but a method of significant reduction of symptoms and treatment.
Its like saying 'Advil cures a headache" or "Bandaids cure cuts", it helps the problem go away, and in some cases almost completely, but its not 'gone for good' as a cure normally would do.

A Cure for Type 1 is likely possible, at some point in time, 10 years? 50 years? Someone will eventually get around to it lol

I do think that many 'cures' and treatment methods get 'hidden' by companies and the health industry simply because a disease generates more money if its treated well and often instead of being cured. Most pharmaceutical companies would rather you spend your life on drugs, then actually being healthy enough to no longer need the drugs. These companies (much like Oil Companies) have been known to buy up and coming research patents for the sole purpose of owning it and shelving it.

They dedicate money to fund research into areas so that when the discoveries are made, they own it, and if they own it they get to decide if it ever goes public. This is great for them AND they get to brag about how much money they are spending on research towards a cure.

Indy51 said:

Maybe, maybe not. Call me cynical, but unless there's a profit factor, the medical system won't be interested. Interesting video with Prof Thomas Seyfried, so I'm in good company with my cynicism

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1 how much do you think a cure for diabetes would sell for? The first company that brought it to market would clean up.
2 not all research is performed by profit making companies, but by publicly funded bodies.
3 none of the people involved in such research would have to be non-diabetic, and have no loved ones with type 1 diabetes.

To US all said Tiny Tim and "Me"
Hi After 40 years I have heard it all! I heard MAX 4-5 Years! Gone?
within 5-10 Years Gone?
A cure, A NeedleLess Whatsit?, Low Carb?,NO Carb?Any Old Carb?
AND much much More?
Endo's, Consultants, Registra's Who do their Job (WHO DON'T BELIEVE YOU????)
I have heard the SCAM brigade the TV, Papers. News,******* and the IDIOTS*******
(you eat too much sugar) (a doctor: its CAUSED by Obesity I was 9stone 7lbs??????)

I think if we found out just how much the WORLD AND the nhs payed out for our strips
we would NOT THINK A BLOODLESS TEST WAS AROUND THE CORNER in the next
576 year's?
Do You?
Regards to all Insulinman still on a Pump?

tomfalc said:

1 how much do you think a cure for diabetes would sell for? The first company that brought it to market would clean up.
2 not all research is performed by profit making companies, but by publicly funded bodies.
3 none of the people involved in such research would have to be non-diabetic, and have no loved ones with type 1 diabetes.

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(1) would depend very much on the technology involved. If it was a vaccination to prevent people getting it, it would be as profitable as most others. If it's a one off treatment for existing Type 1 diabetics, doesn't involve surgery and has few complex procedures attached, I don't think it would be a huge profit making enterprise. Governments would have all sorts of drama on their hands if they tried to pass on the cost to the people who need the treatment, so they'd basically have to pay whatever the patent holder charged, I'd guess. If it was a drug the diabetic had to take for life, it would be much more profitable for the patent holder - at least until the patent ran out and generic versions became available.

As for (2) even if other bodies do the research/find the cure, don't they usually then approach existing pharmaceutical companies to fund the roll out?

I don't quite get the point you're trying to make with (3)?

The only cure for T1D is the implantation of new beta cells. Which, like any other 'transplant' would likely require additional drugs to prevent rejection and the body from killing off the cells again.

I would say to 'cure' a T1D the most likely option would be differentiating stem cells into beta cells properly and with the patient in mind (to prevent rejection, not just a packaged 'same cells for everyone' way) and then implanting them into the pancreas of the T1D and then onto the anti rejection drugs, and continue testing to see if you need more, and hope your body doesnt kill them all again.... :/

Its never going to just be a single 'cure' it will be a surgery followed by lots of tests, lots of drugs post surgery for potentially our entire life, and at any time we could develop T1D again since no one know why our bodies killed our beta cells in the first place, they can do it again with these new cells.

It would be much simpler if they could determine the gene and trigger for T1D, and then figure out how to remove that gene, or suppress it at birth and make that an option for T1Ds who reproduce to prevent the disease from being passed down. Over enough time it could become much rarer.


I think its much more likely and profitable for a company to design a true artificial pancreas that can deliver micro doses of glucose and a new, much faster acting insulin to better simulate a pancreas.

It would be much simpler if they could determine the gene and trigger for T1D, and then figure out how to remove that gene, or suppress it at birth and make that an option for T1Ds who reproduce to prevent the disease from being passed down. Over enough time it could become much rarer

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There are genetic variations that increase risk but they do no more than that. The most important ones are probably in the genes that control the immune system (HLA) but there are many others that add to the risk.
I'm a heterozygote for each of two of the major genetic variables in the immune system that predispose to T1. I could have received one 'bad' variant from my father and one from my mother who were both fine. It's complete chance which two landed together. Even with them I was far more likely not to get diabetes than to get it.(and I didn't until I was in my 50s)
Even if I'd received one 'set' of the problem variant from mother and one from father so the highest risk, I would still be more likely not to get it than to get it.
The biggest risk is when one child develops diabetes, then a sibling who has, by chance, inherited a similar set of variants has a greatly increased risk. There could be an argument for genetic testing of siblings.
80-90% of people with T1 have no family history.(Type 2s are far more likely to have one)

I always thought doctors and scientists had a duty of care towards people. Although there is cures for some illnesses that they will not give u untill the illness becomes uncontrollable due to costs. For me that's inhuman. Sadly in the world money is everything. Which is why they funny with test strips. They have proven they benefit diabetics to use them but refuse to give them unless they really have too. So with this in mind if there was actually a cure they wouldn't give it untill we were chronically ill.

There is one cure for diabetes - both types and that is a pancreas transplant. I know a type 1 who had a kidney & pancreas transplant and is no longer diabetic. Only downside is taking immunosuppressive drugs for life.

Anaelena said:

It isn't a cure when you fix a problem only to have another one . Also why would both types need a transplant ?

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Good point. The pancreas isn't where the problem is in a T2 diabetic. It's the whole body.

phoenix said:

There are genetic variations that increase risk but they do no more than that. The most important ones are probably in the genes that control the immune system (HLA) but there are many others that add to the risk.
I'm a heterozygote for each of two of the major genetic variables in the immune system that predispose to T1. I could have received one 'bad' variant from my father and one from my mother who were both fine. It's complete chance which two landed together. Even with them I was far more likely not to get diabetes than to get it.(and I didn't until I was in my 50s)
Even if I'd received one 'set' of the problem variant from mother and one from father so the highest risk, I would still be more likely not to get it than to get it.
The biggest risk is when one child develops diabetes, then a sibling who has, by chance, inherited a similar set of variants has a greatly increased risk. There could be an argument for genetic testing of siblings.
80-90% of people with T1 have no family history.(Type 2s are far more likely to have one)

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Hi Phoenix, your last paragraph is very true. I know of a family with 4 children, 3 have type 1 diabetes, mum is a sports champion and at least 2 of the children participate in the sport and are all very active and always out and about. A hospital in London is interested in the family.

Even if there was a cure, do you really think the government and health services globally would give that to us? The diabetes industry is worth countless billion dollars globally, it would be an economic disaster shutting that much of the economy down, pharmaceuticals, healthcare jobs, other employment linked to anything to do with diabetes.

Its a very big industry and increasing in size according to predictions. A cure would cause an economic collapse i reckon.

Personally ,I don't think we would get off scot free without any type of meds/drugs,after care, if a 'cure' of some sort were found, especially if anti' rejections drugs and life long hospital appointments were needed.
As one door closes, another opens.
Still trying to have that glimmer of positivity though.

Best wishes RRB

Perhaps if I invested in a 3D printer it could print me a new pancreas using a flexible Polylactic Acid and my own blood cells...

Like the technology in Terminator Salvation movie where the facility rebuilds his flesh, or in The Fifth Element where the DNA code is used to create a super human being and builds the person like a 3D printer.

Yes I see where 3D printing technology is heading, the future is bright

PseudoBob77 said:

Like the technology in Terminator Salvation movie where the facility rebuilds his flesh, or in The Fifth Element where the DNA code is used to create a super human being and builds the person like a 3D printer.

Yes I see where 3D printing technology is heading, the future is bright

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I'm waiting for the Google Geeks to manufacture a diabetic watch. That will make the pharmaceutical companies happy, though I think Google should get the Patent.