
The fly in the ointment of Ig-GAD2 stopping the T1D attack was the speed at which the autoimmune attack took place. To slow the devastating attack, researchers used adult stem cells to generate new insulin-producing cells.
As with all good plans, the adult stem cells became typical blood vessels, not insulin-producing cells. This wasn’t all bad because the blood cells produced extra oxygen that proved to be helpful in prolonging the life of remaining beta cells.
Ig-GAD2 antibodies were given to the mice for 10 weeks and bone marrow transplants were given in consecutive weeks between weeks 2 and 4. The result was impressive and enabled the mice to be free of Y1D for 4 months. The real wow factor is that 4 months, for a mouse, is a lifetime.
After the success in mice models, research was conducted on people with T1D, with private funding and the results were not published. Although this is 1 method of transient success in “curing” T1D, it is not the only option. We’re at a crossroads and it’s looking bright.
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