This novel approach holds the potential to become the first disease-modifying treatment for type 1 diabetes.

The team is optimistic the potential treatment could help address the stark reality of donor organ shortages and offer hope for the significant number of people with insulin-dependent diabetes. (Shutterstock)

By Jessie Zhang

Researchers at Melbourne’s Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute have discovered a method that could eliminate the need for regular insulin injections.

The team led by Professor Sam El-Osta identified two drugs, previously approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for rare cancers, that are capable of rapidly restoring insulin production in cells damaged by diabetes.

For type 1 diabetes, which represents about 10 percent of all diabetes cases in Australia, the immune system destroys pancreatic cells, necessitating daily insulin injections to manage the disease.

 

When stimulated by small molecule inhibitors in the drugs, the cells were found to respond to glucose and produce insulin within 48 hours.

The team at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute believes this therapy could also benefit the 30 percent of Australians living with type 2 diabetes who may eventually rely on insulin injections.

“We consider this regenerative approach an important advance towards clinical development,” Mr. El-Osta said.

RELATED STORIES

New Diabetes Guidelines Released for 2024, With a Few Key Changes

12/16/2023

Sen. Sanders Calls for Ban on Junk Food Ads for Children to Combat Diabetes Epidemic

12/14/2023

“Until now, the regenerative process has been incidental, and lacking confirmation,” he said.

Diabetes in a Nutshell

Diabetes is an autoimmune disease where blood glucose levels are too high.

Affecting approximately one in 20 Australians, diabetes occurs in both children and adults, with its causes not well understood.

The autoimmune destruction of native beta cells responsible for insulin release characterises type 1 diabetes.

Current treatments include regularly monitoring blood glucose levels by administering multiple daily insulin injections, insulin pumps, or getting a pancreas transplant.

These treatments have significant side effects, prompting the exploration of alternative therapeutic approaches.

Type 2 diabetes involves strong genetic and family-related risk factors, along with modifiable lifestyle risk factors.

The condition arises when the body becomes resistant to insulin’s normal effects and gradually loses the capacity to produce sufficient insulin in the pancreas.

As a result, the pancreas compensates by producing higher amounts of insulin. Over time, this overproduction leads to wear and tear on the insulin-producing cells, causing type 2 diabetes.

The recent discovery marks the first instance of a drug being identified to “rewire” insulin production in individuals with diabetes.

Next Steps?

Senior research fellow Keith Al-Hasani said the next phase involves testing the regenerative approach in preclinical models before developing inhibitors as drugs for people with diabetes.

The researchers are optimistic that regenerative therapy could help address the stark reality of donor organ shortages and offer hope for the substantial number of people with insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes.

The diabetes epidemic affects nearly two million Australians, with almost 120,000 developing the condition in the past year.

Globally, over 530 million adults are living with diabetes, with the number expected to rise to 643 million by 2030.

Sof Andrikopoulos, chief executive of the Australian Diabetes Society, said the new study could enhance the quality of life for those living with diabetes.

“The way people with type one diabetes stay alive and manage their glucose is either injecting themselves three or four times a day with needles or they are on an insulin pump,” Mr. Andrikopoulos told AAP.

“It may mean that instead of injecting yourself four times a day, you may only need to inject yourself once a day.

“It may get to the point where you do not need to do any of that and you have, for all intents and purposes, cured diabetes.”

Diabetes Australia welcomed the research, describing it as encouraging for people who have type 1 diabetes.

“Research remains critical in the fight to combat the diabetes epidemic,” a spokeswoman said.

“It creates possibilities, changes lives, and gives hope to the millions of Australians living with, and at risk of developing diabetes.”

The study was published in the scientific journal Nature on Jan. 1.