Diabetes is a very prevalent condition, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, as 7.8 percent of the population has diabetes. Those afflicted with the disease generally fall into two categories: type 1 and type 2. Before the onset of clinical diabetes and its manifestation of symptoms, patients usually go through a phase where their blood glucose is abnormal. Research and clinical trials attempt to carry the treatment of this very common condition to the next level.
Inhaled Insulin
The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse recounts that diabetics suffer from either lack of insulin production in their bodies, or the inability of their cells to utilize insulin, and consequently glucose. For patients with very little or no insulin production, injections have long been their only treatment path.
A new breakthrough delivery method for insulin, as discussed by the Food and Drug Administration, is via the inhaled route. Inhaled insulin is currently the only potential alternative for injections. This inhaled form of insulin is manufactured through recombinant DNA technology, and it is designed to be inhaled through the patient's mouth.
In 2006, the Food and Drug Administration has approved Exubera as the first inhaled insulin product. There are limitations to its use, however. Exubera is absorbed quickly, therefore it is considered ideal as a mealtime insulin choice.
Patients with type 1 diabetes need injections of insulin to supply their daily, called basal, needs. Also, patients who smoke, or those who recently quit smoking, are not good candidates for inhaled insulin. Patients with lung disease affecting their pulmonary functions may not be suited for this insulin delivery route either.
Halting the Progress of Recent-Onset Diabetes
As explained by Stanford Medical School, patients with type 1 diabetes suffer from an autoimmune disease. The patient's immune system attacks the insulin-making beta cells of the pancreas and destroys them. Initially, in the first three months of the onset of symptoms, there are still some beta cells that have not been destroyed by the immune system.
A clinical trial by Stanford Medical School is currently being conducted to assess whether CTLA-4 Ig (Abatacept), an immune-inhibiting drug, can be used to halt the attack of the immune system and salvage some insulin-producing cells. The drug is currently in the trial phase, but has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in rheumatoid arthritis.
Stem Cell Transplant
Many researchers and patients dream of the day stem cells may be used in diabetic patients for regeneration of their destroyed pancreatic beta cell. The concept behind the use of stem cells is that embryonic stem cells have the ability to grow into any cells, including pancreatic insulin-producing cells, a process known as differentiation. Mayoclinic.com reports that a small study conducted in Brazil showed very promising results.
References
- Food and Drug Administration: FDA Approves First Ever Inhaled Insulin Combination Product for Treatment of Diabetes
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse: National Diabetes Statistics
- Stanford Medical School: Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet: CTLA-4 Ig (Abatacept) in Recent-Onset Diabetes
- Mayo Clinic: Diabetes: Treatment
