http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2002/01/25/eline/links/20020125elin030.html
Jan 25, 2002
A synthetic molecule has proven effective
in slowing the development of a type of diabetes in mice, leading researchers
to believe that similar molecules could be created to block type 1 diabetes
and other autoimmune diseases in humans.
Researchers at the National Jewish
Medical and Research Center in Denver and the University of Colorado said
on Friday a synthetic antioxidant--a molecule used to block the damaging
effects of oxidation on body tissue--could slow or prevent the death of
cells needed by the body to produce insulin.
A team lead by Drs. James Crapo and
Brian Day studied the effects of the antioxidant that mimics a naturally
occurring molecule within the body, but lasts longer and can protect the
body from a wider range of other antioxidants.
The molecule is now licensed by Incara
Pharmaceuticals Corp.
"It does appear to delay and prevent
diabetes, but you would have to be on this for quite a long period of time
to prevent diabetes," Day told Reuters. "It is possible that people with
a history of juvenile diabetes could be put on this or a similar kind of
therapy."
The study, which looked at type 1
or juvenile diabetes, was published in the journal Diabetes. Approximately
one million Americans, or about 5% to 10% of all diabetics, have type 1
diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Type 2, or adult-onset diabetes,
is by far the most common and occurs when the body loses its sensitivity
to insulin. Insulin is used by the body to turn sugars in the blood into
fuel for the body.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body
mistakenly recognizes insulin-producing cells as foreign invaders and the
body's T cells attack them.
During the study, the synthetic antioxidant
was injected into 10 mice one day before they were given a separate dose
of T cells that trigger diabetes. Researchers administered the antioxidant
to the mice four more times, with the last injection coming nine days after
the study began.
The researchers report that none
of the mice given the antioxidant showed any signs of diabetes after 21
days, and five remained diabetes-free when the study ended after four weeks.
A 'control' group of five mice that were not given the molecule became
diabetic by day 13.
"The drug actually triggers a response
in the immune system that is long-lived," said Day, who estimated the drug
lasts about 15 hours within the body.
He cautioned, however, that it is
too soon to tout the drug as a cure-all without further tests and refining
of the drug.
"It appears that the drug is not
permanent in all of the responses ... because some of the animals (given
the antioxidant) still went diabetic," he said.
Researchers are optimistic that this
antioxidant and others like it could be used to treat immune diseases in
humans such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Incara Pharmaceuticals is currently
studying whether the antioxidant could be used to protect patients receiving
new pancreatic cells from other donors. Currently, the body recognizes
many of these new cells as foreign and works to destroy them.
Copyright © 2002 Reuters Limited
By Christopher Doering
WASHINGTON, (Reuters)