13 December 2004

Type 1 diabetes vaccine trial to start

British researchers have raised hopes for a potential cure for patients in the early stages of Type 1 diabetes as a human trial begins.

Teams working at Bristol University and King's College London are set to test a vaccine on humans for the first time. The vaccine involves the injection of a protein that stops the body destroying the insulin producing cells. Trials have been successful in mice.

"A hundred years ago Type 1 diabetes was a death sentence," said Georgina Slack, Head of Research at Diabetes UK who have part-funded the research.

"We've come a long way in terms of managing the condition. Now we're seeing new approaches in research emerge which are improving the chances of providing a cure.

"There is no doubt that any breakthroughs would have a huge impact on the treatment of people with diabetes. The prospect of finding a way of stopping the body from attacking itself and causing Type 1 diabetes is the holy grail of diabetes research.

"This inoculation has so far only been tested in mice so research is still in its very early stages. We'll be following any progress with the research into humans very closely."

The first stage of the trials will be to check whether the vaccine might work in humans, and to ensure that it is safe.

Assuming that goes well, researchers will test the vaccine on newly diagnosed people with Type 1 diabetes. These people typically still have one in five insulin producing islet cells working and it is hoped that the injections will protect these cells.

If the research trail proves a success, a vaccine against Type 1 diabetes could be available by about 2015.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International and the Diabetes Vaccine Development Centre in Melbourne, Australia are jointly funding he trial.

(SP/MB)