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Living With Type-1 Diabetes

By Elaine Grant on Wednesday, March 10, 2010

ARTICLE TOOLS

Type-1 diabetes is classified as an autoimmune disease. That means the immune system mistakes a part of the body as a foreign entity, and attacks it. In the case of Type-1 diabetes, white blood cells called “T cells” kill off cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. The ability to reprogram the immune system is a highly sought-after goal in medicine.

Now, researchers are closing in on a drug that could help treat the immune systems of patients with Type-1 diabetes. Nearly 3 million Americans live with the condition, and one of them happens to be science reporter Catherine Price. Catherine was one of just a couple dozen people who volunteered to test the drug. She joins us on the show to tell us what she learned.

The JDRF Type 1 Diabetes Clinical Trials Connection

Popular Science: Rebooting the Body

A Sweet Life: The Reluctant Diabetic

The New York Times: Thinking About Diabetes With Every Bite

(Photo by Sarah G... via Flickr/CreativeCommons)

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teplizumab

KathyJ - Fri, 03/19/2010 - 19:50

My son is finishing up his 2 year participation in a study for teplizumab. He is doing really well - he does not require much injected insulin. You mentioned it has been 9 years since you participated in the trial - are you still producing the same amount of your own insulin now - compared to when you finished the study?

autoimune and type 1

Mary Stout - Fri, 03/19/2010 - 09:59

My son was just diagnoised with diabetes. He has hypogammagloubulenia, could that have causer or contributet to the diabetes? He has had the immune disorder since birth. My other son has the same problem. Will he become diabetic?

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and Insulin Production.

Peter Truscott - Tue, 03/16/2010 - 11:10

HFCS seems to be in everything and fructose is definitely disruptive to the body even in moderate quantities. Just avoiding HFCS would help prevent the onset I believe in many people and help reduce the overweight problem.

Autoimmune Deaseases

AverJaneQ - Wed, 03/10/2010 - 14:14

The new drug to treat Type 1 Diabetes could also help with rheumatoid arthritis too if it works on auto immune disorders. I wonder if they've tested that yet.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Catherine P - Wed, 03/10/2010 - 14:40

Catherine here (author of the piece) -- yes, it does indeed hold promise for RA. As far as I know, there are no trials on RA at the moment, but there may be in the future. (At the moment it's being tested for ulcerative colitis, psoriasis and Crohn's disease; eventually, it might be tried not just in RA but MS as well.)

Thanks for your comment!