Researcher Discovers How To Prevent Type 1 Diabetes In Animal Model

Researchers at Saint Louis University (SLU) have discovered a way to prevent type 1 diabetes in an animal model--a chronic autoimmune disease that occurs when the body's immune system destroys insulin producing pancreatic beta cells that harm insulin production levels and result in hyperglycemia.

Lead study author Thomas Burris, Ph.D., chair of pharmacological and physiological science at SLU, focused on blocking the autoimmune process that destroys beta cells and leads to diabetes, aiming to develop therapies that can prevent illness from developing rather than initially treating symptoms, alone.

"None of the animals on the treatment developed diabetes even when we started treatment after significant beta cell damage had already occurred. We believe this type of treatment would slow the progression of type I diabetes in people or potentially even eliminate the need for insulin therapy," said Burris, in a news release.

For the study, researchers discovered two distinct nuclear receptors that play critical roles in the development of TH17 cells. Though scientists were previously aware of two types of immune "T-cells" that contribute to the development of type 1 diabetes, the role of the third type, TH17, remained relatively unclear.

Researchers blocked the receptors (ROR alpha and gamma t) with SR1001 (a selective ROR alpha and gamma t inverse agonist developed by Burris), which was successful in significantly reducing diabetes in mice that were treated during the study period.

Researchers concluded that TH17 cells play a key role in the development of type 1 diabetes, and with future studies, they hope to potentially see if the target cell may offer new treatments for this and other illnesses. 

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Endocrinology.

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