The clinical study led by researchers at Linkoping University suggested that the injection of a protein, GAD, into Lymph nodes can be effective in helping some people living with type 1 diabetes continue to produce insulin.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the immune system mistakes the cells in the pancreas as harmful and attacks them.

One strategy researchers are looking at is a protein-based vaccine that cells of the immune system react to.

One of the proteins which the immune system can form antibodies in type 1 diabetes is known as GAD65 (glutamic acid decarboxylase).

“Studies have shown that even an extremely small production of insulin in the body is highly beneficial for patient health. People with diabetes who produce a certain amount of insulin naturally do not develop low blood sugar levels, hypoglycemia so easily. They also have a lower risk of developing the life-threatening condition ketoacidosis, which can arise when the insulin level is low,” said Professor Johnny Ludvigsson at Linkoping University.

His research team investigated the effect of GAD-alum injections into the lymph nodes of 109 young people who were recently diagnosed type 1 diabetes. The natural insulin production of people involved in the trial was measured at the start of the study and again after 15 months. They also measured the change in long-term blood glucose levels and how much supplementary insulin the patients needed to take every day.

“Treatment with GAD-alum seems to be a promising, simple and safe way to preserve insulin production in around half of patients with type 1 diabetes, the ones who have the right type of HLA. This is why we are looking forward to carrying out larger studies and we hope these will lead to a drug that can change the progress of type 1 diabetes,” says Professor Johnny Ludvigsson from Linkoping University.

Previous studies of immunotherapy in diabetes suggest genetic factors play a role in how people respond to the treatment. This led researchers to look at several variants.

The results of the study have been published in Diabetes Care.

Key findings

· Injection of a protein, GAD-alum can provide simple and safe way to preserve insulin production.

· Genetic factors can determine how people respond to the treatment.

· 109 people aged between 12 and 24 years, living diagnosed with type 1 diabetes took part in the study