Massachusetts: Diabetes is one of the most spread diseases, that results in lower level of insulin secretion by the pancreas. People across the world either take oral pills or injections to maintain insulin in their blood.
However, a vaccination might turn out to be a hope for doctors as well as for patients. The 100-year-old tuberculosis ( bacillus Calmette-Guerin) vaccine is to be used by Food and Drugs Administration on 150 people for curing diabetes. Medical experts already use this vaccine in treatment of blood cancer.
The testing on a sample population would be done at the 75th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, quoted Jersey Demic.
Type one sufferer have issues like the destruction of cells that create insulin, the body starts producing T cells which causes problems in pancreatic islets, where insulin is produced. The vaccine, however, eliminates these T cells.
People suffering from diabetes were injected with TB vaccine, and an increase in tumour necrosis factor was observed. The increased level of TNF destroys T cells that hinder insulin production. The vaccination resulted in T cells elimination and in some people insulin started secreting.
“In the preliminary phase of the trial we showed a statistically considerable response to BCG, but our aim in this trial is to make a lasting therapeutic response,” said Dr Denise, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Immunobiology Laboratory in Boston.
The researchers will work again with people who have had type one diabetes for many years. A new trial will follow the same format on people between the age group of 18 and 60.