Cheap, decades-old transplant drug delays full onset of type 1 diabetes

People who develop type 1 diabetes need to inject insulin to stay alive. But a new trial suggests a cheap transplant drug could delay the progression of the disease. (Image credit: Javier Zayas Photography/Getty Images) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter An inexpensive drug that's been used for decades in transplant surgeries can delay the progression of type 1 diabetes in those newly diagnosed, new research suggests. In previous studies, a high dose of the immune-suppressing drug polyclonal antithymocyte globulin (ATG) reduced the loss of insulin-making cells in the pancreas, called beta cells. The new study shows that a much smaller dose is almost as effective at slowing disease progression in type 1 — but with fewer side effects. In type 1 diabetes (T1D), the immune system destroys the body's beta cells, which produce insulin, the hormone that allows glucose from the blood to enter cells, where it is used as fuel. Without enough insulin, glucose piles up in the bloodstream. But there's a window of time soon after diagnosis, called the "honeymoon phase," in which beta cells still produce some insulin; this provides an opportunity to keep those remaining beta cells alive longer. A longer honeymoon phase and more residual beta cell function are tied to reduced risk of diabetes complications, such as heart and kidney disease, down the line. It's this honeymoon phase that the new study was targeting. The study included 117 participants, who were between the ages of 5 and 25 and had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes within nine weeks of starting the trial. The participants received either a high, intermediate or low dose of ATG: the high dose was equivalent to 2.5 milligrams of ATG per kilogram of body weight; the intermediate dose was 1.5 mg/kg; and the low dose was 0.5 mg/kg of body weight. The researchers found that the lowest dose preserved beta cell functioning for a year, according to the paper published Sept. 27 in the journal The Lancet . The trial was designed to help researchers analyze the lowest effective dose in children as young as 5 years old, lead study author Dr. Chantal Mathieu , endocrinologist at the University Hospital Gasthuisberg Leuven in Belgium, told Live Science. That's because the drug's side effects — such as harmful immune reactions — can be especially hard o