New antibody drug reverses Type 1 diabetes in groundbreaking experiment
An experimental drug is bringing science one step closer to curing Type 1 diabetes. Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine are reporting that an experimental monoclonal antibody drug prevents and reverses the condition in mice. In some cases, it even extended the animals’ lifespans.
The drug is called mAb43 and is quite unique, according to the research team. If you have Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition, your pancreas makes little to no insulin. This drug works by directly targeting insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas and shielding them from attack by the body’s wayward immune cells.
Such a level of specificity might allow for long-term use in humans with few side-effects, according to the study published in Diabetes. Monoclonal antibodies are made by cloning an animal cell line.
“mAb43 in combination with insulin therapy may have the potential to gradually reduce insulin use while beta cells regenerate, ultimately eliminating the need to use insulin supplementation for glycemic control,” says postdoctoral fellow Devi Kasinathan.
“In an ongoing effort, we aim to develop a humanized version of the antibody and conduct clinical trials to test its ability to prevent Type 1 diabetes, and to learn whether it has any off-target side effects,” concludes researcher Zheng Guo.
Diabetes journal: Cell-Surface ZnT8 Antibody Prevents and Reverses Autoimmune Diabetes in Mice
In Special Collection:Diabetes Paper of the Month
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