New Treatment for Diabetes

New treatments for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are being developed all the time. At the moment, none of these has withstood the test of time.

One of the new treatments now being made available is a drug based on the saliva of a venomous lizard – the Gila Monster. The drug containing this new treatment is delivered by injection in much the same way as insulin but early trials have seen many participants withdraw because of an increase in side effects when compared to those caused by insulin. All research so far undertaken has been sponsored by the pharmaceutical company that produces this drug.

Another new treatment going through trials is the delivery of insulin through inhalation. The insulin is prepared in a dry micro fine powder form, which is inhaled directly into the lungs from where it is absorbed into the blood stream. This would have obvious advantages when treating children in particular, as the use of needles to deliver the essential insulin shots can make the condition doubly distressing for the patient and for the parents who often have to administer the injections. There are concerns about the long-term problems that may be caused by this method of delivery and it is thought not to be suitable for smokers or asthma sufferers.

In 2005, researchers reported some success in treating patients with type 1 diabetes with an antibody called ChAglyCD3 that appears to preserve some of the valuable beta cells within the pancreas to permit some insulin production and release. Treatment with this antibody slows the progression of the autoimmune response and the associated destruction of the insulin producing cells of the pancreas. As with all treatments, side effects have been reported and the treatment has yet to be proven as safe.

Implantable insulin pumps are now available for the type 1 diabetic for whom regular insulin shots are as essential as oxygen. These devices are embedded in the abdomen and deliver a constant dose of insulin direct to the liver.

Genetic research continues into the causes of diabetes with some researchers claiming success in identifying the gene responsible for the development of type 2 diabetes. This particular gene appears to cause an excess of the protein PC-1 to be produced by the body. This protein causes insulin resistance within the cells of the body. Geneticists hope that further research will assist diabetics through the development of the following possible treatments:

• Experiments are already being carried out on animals to test a vaccination against the autoimmune response that causes type 1 diabetes.
• Scientists have already used genetic engineering to make liver cells that produce insulin. Unfortunately, although insulin is produced there is no internal control mechanism as there is with the pancreas, so the insulin levels from such cells remains constant regardless of the body's requirement for this hormone. More research is required.
• There is an enormous amount of research into the therapeutic use of stem cells. Stem cells are the very basic building blocks of the human body and have the ability to develop into any kind of cell. It is possible that researchers will find a way to use stem cells to make insulin-producing cells to replace those that have been damaged by the autoimmune problem that causes type 1 diabetes.

All new treatments offer hope for the future but the effectiveness of any of them will not be fully appreciated until they have been tested over time.