Oral Insulin Being Tested In Clinical Trials

Filed in archive Challenges , Research , Treatment on June 2, 2007

The University of Florida is conducting a trial of oral insulin in 14 medical centers across the United States.

The said oral insulin can hopefully prevent type 1 diabetes in people who are at risk of the disease.

Previous studies on oral insulin have suggested that might delay type 1 diabetes for about four years in some people with islet cell autoantibodies in their blood.

Introduction of insulin via the digestive is believed to induce tolerance, thereby quieting the immune system.

According to Desmond Schatz, M.D., medical director of UF's diabetes center of Excellence and principal investigator with the UF TrialNet Clinical Center:

"This is a unique opportunity to attempt to prevent the disease in relatives at risk for type 1 diabetes," "The intervention may also offer hope for delaying the onset of the disease.

We hope that learning about the underlying immune events that set the stage for diabetes will help us identify ways to rein in the autoimmune attack on beta cells."

However, there are also earlier studies which claimed that oral insulin does not prevent type 1 diabetes.

Well, let's wait and see...maybe UFL is doing things differently in this trial otherwise they wouldn't have proceeded with it if the potential is nil.

Find more details from the full report.