News and updates on potential cures for type-1 diabetes, that are in human (or clinical) trials.
RD13-02 uses specially engineered immune cells designed to remove certain immune cells believed to drive the autoimmune attack that damages insulin-producing beta cells. Researchers hope that by removing these harmful immune cells, the immune system may stop attacking the pancreas and allow remaining beta cells to continue working. This is a CAR-T therapy. CAR-T is a genetic engineering technique…
Back in April, I blogged about a Phase-II study called "Anti-Thymocyte Globulin and Verapamil Start A Phase-2 Clinical Trial" (NCT06455319). I should have included this trial at the same time, since they are closely related, but I didn't so I'm publishing this blog, now. Both studies are testing ATG in honeymooners. The previous study was testing either just ATG or ATG and Verapamil. This study is…
A new clinical trial is testing Rezpegaldesleukin, also known as NKTR-358, or REZPEG, as a potential treatment to slow or stop T1D in honeymooners. Rezpegaldesleukin is a modified form of interleukin-2 (IL-2), which plays a key role in regulating the immune system. The drug is given by subcutaneous injection, similar to an insulin injection, once every two weeks. It has been studied across nine…
Pancreatic islet transplantation is an approach designed to restore the body’s ability to produce insulin by transplanting beta cells (insulin-producing cells) from a donor pancreas. I don't consider most of these to be cures, because they require taking immune suppression drugs for the rest of the person's life. For me, that is just trading one disease for another. However, part of the eye (the…
Researchers at the University of Florida are launching a new Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate a combination therapy for individuals recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This study, titled "Precision Administration of Anti-Thymocyte Globulin (ATG) With or Without Verapamil," aims to preserve the body's ability to produce its own insulin by combining two different types of medication. The…
GentiBio, Inc. is sponsoring a clinical trial known as POLARIS, which aims to evaluate a cell therapy called GNTI-122 in honeymoon adults. It is created specifically for each participant using their own blood cells. GNTI-122 is administered as a single dose. GNTI-122 is designed to modify regulatory T cells - immune cells that help prevent the body from attacking its own tissues. By enhancing the…
Researchers at the University of Miami are exploring whether a combination of two well-known supplements—omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D—might help preserve insulin production in people with type 1 diabetes. The study, called POSEIDON, is testing whether high doses of these supplements, taken together, can slow the progression of the disease by protecting the remaining beta cells in the…
An open letter to everyone who cares about research aimed at type 1 diabetes cures. I've been blogging on research aimed at curing type 1 diabetes for almost 20 years, but I've never sent out a message like this before. However, for me, the results from a single person clinical trial of Sana Biotechnology's UP421 treatment should motivate a change in how we all think about research to cure T1D.…
The treatment being tested is called Brivekimig (previously SAR442970). It is a type of biologic drug known as a bispecific nanobody. It is a small, engineered protein designed to bind to and block two specific molecules in the immune system simultaneously: Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and OX40 Ligand (OX40L). TNF-alpha and OX40L are two of the chemical messengers that help coordinate…
A new clinical trial is exploring whether two different immune therapies, used alone or in combination, can delay or prevent the onset of T1D in people who are at high risk, but have not yet been diagnosed with T1D. The study will test a cell-based therapy using a patient's own cells (regulatory T cells) and and a drug called rituximab. It involves drawing a person’s blood, isolating a specific…
The Fecal Autologous Capsule Transplantation for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (FACT-T1D) trial is testing a new approach to treating or curing type 1 diabetes. This method involves the use of encapsulated, freeze-dried, autologous (one's own) fecal matter. The idea is that by altering the gut microbiota, it might be possible to slow down or even halt the destruction of beta cells, which are crucial…
CNK-UT009, as tested here, is a one-time infusion of living cells designed to modify the immune system’s behavior. The idea behind it is that by reprogramming T cells, it may be possible to suppress the misdirected immune response that causes type 1 diabetes while potentially allowing remaining beta cells to function better. Animal studies suggest that this method could reduce autoimmunity and…
IMMUNOSTEM technology refers to using a virus (specifically a lentivirus) to deliver a new gene into cells, which will then produce a specific protein PD-L1 (Programmed Death-Ligand 1). This protein plays a key role in the immune system by telling T-cells not to attack a specific other cell (in this case, beta cells). This is done to the patient's own blood. It is removed, treated in this way, and…
Baricitinib works by interfering with signaling pathways inside immune cells, to reduce inflammation and lower the immune system. It is part of a class of drugs called Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors. JAK comes in two forms, JAK1 and JAK2, and Baricitinib targets both of them. Baricitinib is not a new drug; it was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018. It is taken as a…
This blog posting reports on the results of Avotres recent phase-I clinical trial into AVT001 and the company's future plans for testing. I reported on the start of this trial here: https://cureresearch4type1diabetes.blogspot.com/2019/12/avotress-avt001-starts-phase-i-trial.html AVT001 is an "autologous dendritic cell therapy" meaning that a person's own dendritic immune cells are taken out,…
I have not posted anything in this blog for the last 5 weeks, and I don't expect to for the next few weeks. That is because my father has passed away. It was not sudden or unexpected, but it is still very shocking. He was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer about six months ago, and was slowly declining. However, in mid-May, he started quickly declining, and died on 10 June 2025. His cancer…
This clinical trial tested whether long-term daily treatment with Remygen®, an oral drug developed by Diamyd Medical, could help restore insulin production in adults with longstanding type 1 diabetes (T1D). The active component of Remygen® is GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a compound that in earlier experimental studies appeared to support the regeneration of insulin-producing beta cells, improve…
I'm going to start using generative AI (what people call "chatbot" technology) to help me create draft blog postings. In all cases, I will review and edit every word to ensure three things: Every posting has the right tone. Every piece of information in the posting is accurate. Every posting conveys the truth, as I understand it, in terms of importance, future directions, risks, unknowns, and so…
This blog post reports on some news that I consider exciting, for at least two different reasons: first because it might be an early milestone on a path that leads to a practical cure of established T1D. The second because it could speed up research into similar cures. However, it is important to understand what is actually new and unique about this news, and how it differs from previous news that…
TIX100 is a protein which inhibits the action of TIXNP (thioredoxin-interacting protein). It is being developed by the TIXIMED company. TXNIP is elevated in pancreatic islets of people with type-1 diabetes and causes beta cell death and dysfunction. The hope is that inhibiting that protein will protect beta cells and therefore delay or prevent T1D. Anath Shalev, a researcher at the University of…
This is the most fun I have had writing a blog in a long time. It is not often I can blog about psychedelics and curing type-1 diabetes at the same time! I hope it is as fun for you to read as it is for me to write. Do not skip the "Discussion" section. These researchers are testing Harmine as part of a long term project, which started by doing a quick screen of many chemicals, which identified…
Denosumab is a monoclonal antibody, which is already approved for several bone related diseases and is sold under the names Wyost, Xgeva, Prolia, and Jubbonti. A research team has found that the pathway that Denosumab targets also has effects on beta cells. Animal studies suggest that Denosumab may protect and/or increase the number of beta cells and improve how well they work. It was first…
Last year, at the start of the year, I published a blog of four research projects I was looking forward to updates in the new year. This year, I'm doing the same thing. I'm also including an update of the project from last year. What I'm Watching In 2025 Vertex VX-264 is an encapsulated beta cell transplant that does not require immune suppression. The trial is expected to run until 2026, but the…
Normally, sometime in October, I write a summary of all the clinical trials funded by JDRF. However, this year I didn't, which was a mistake. But late is better than never, so in this post I summarize the clinical trails that Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) is funding as of October 1st, 2024. I hope to remind everyone of how important Breakthrough T1D is to the human trials of potential cures for…
Fenofibrate (also spelled Phenofibrate) is commonly prescribed for high cholesterol and high triglycerides. In 2017, it was the 70th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States with more than eleven million prescriptions. However, it is not approved for use in children under 18. It is also sometimes prescribed for diabetic retinopathy (eye damage from long term diabetes), and (off…