Scientists have successfully used a leukemia drug to reverse type 1 diabetes—at least in mice. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and Plexxikon, a pharmaceutical research firm, studied two cancer drugs—Gleevec (imatinib) and Sutent (sunitinib)—in non-obese diabetic mice, which were prone to developing diabetes.
Both drugs are tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which interfere with cell communication and growth and are used to fight tumors. Gleevec is prescribed for chronic myelogenous leukemia and Sutent is used to treat advanced kidney cancer and a type of stomach cancer.
In the diabetic mice, scientists wanted to know if the inhibitors could reduce pancreatic inflammation. Type 1 diabetes is brought on by an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the pancreas and destroys insulin-producing cells.
When the mice were fed the medications for seven weeks before diabetes typically develops (usually at 12 to 14 weeks of age), none of the animals developed diabetes. What’s more, 80% of the Gleevec-treated animals remained diabetes-free after the treatment stopped, compared with 30% of the other mice.
Though they’re a long way from being approved for therapy in type 1 diabetics, the study’s authors say the drugs could ultimately be used to treat type 1 diabetes and, possibly, other autoimmune diseases. The study was published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Related Links:
Recent posts by Sean Kelley:
Comments (9)
Though they’re a long way from being approved for therapy in type 1 diabetics, the study’s authors say the drugs could ultimately be used to treat type 1 diabetes and, possibly, other autoimmune diseases.
I have been following every dev in the treatment of type I diabetese. My 7 years old daughter is suffering from this desease and every time I have to deny her favourite food items I die a thousand deaths. Can some one guide me practically how far or near we are from the complete cure. I have heard sentor Obama is for the stem cell research and with him at the helm of affairs in US, Many fathers like me have rested our hopes on him in expediting the research for treatment of this disease. My best wishes to all those who are burning the midnight oil to find a cure for this disease.
great news,, I am on 300m of gleevic for cml, and
have been in remission since Mar. 2006, it is great
to see that gleevic testing is helping with the
diabetes problem.
great news,, I am on 300m of gleevic for cml, and
have been in remission since Mar. 2006, it is great
to see that gleevic testing is helping with the
diabetes problem.
As both Gleevec and Sutent are already being prescribed to patients, surely there is an opportunity for an enterprising academic to devise some kind of epidemiologic study, comparing incidence of Type 1 diabetes in these patients with the broader population. Not definitive, but another interesting indicator of future potential…
hai, i am been living with type1 for almost seventeen years i have been for clinical trial help me if u have cure for type1 diabetic
Is there any harm in going to Mexico and giving gleevec a try for 10 weeks?
Are there any Type 1 diabetics who are currently being treated for, leukemia with Gleevec, or kidney cancer with Sutent? If so, has there been a change in their diabetes?
Could someone please tell me what amount of Gleevec and Sutent I should take to possibly cure my diabetes.
Ive had diabetes for 21 years and dont have any complications yet thank God and dont want any . I can handle hair loss and sick ..
I heard about this on my local news about how they cured mice and they said they were gonna do a study with 60 people ..like usual nothing is going on with it ..so help me out so I can start testing myself :} THANKS..