A controversial therapy for diabetes is verified

Three groups of scientists report today that they independently replicated a controversial finding: severely diabetic mice can recover on their own if researchers squelch an immune system attack that is causing the disease.

It is a discovery that was first published in 2001 and raised the hopes of people with Type 1 diabetes, which usually occurs in puberty and afflicts an estimated half-million to a million Americans. If the findings applied to humans, they might mean reversing a disease that had seemed incurable.

The findings also gave rise to questions about using embryonic stem cells as replacement cells for diabetics, a method that is the focus of intense interest. If it is possible, in mice, for the pancreas to cure itself, and if the same finding holds true in humans -- which, so far, is entirely unknown -- adding embryonic stem cells as the source of new pancreas cells might provide little added benefit, if any.

In any event, scientists are not yet ready to treat diabetic patients with embryonic stem cells; they first have to prod the cells to turn into insulin-secreting pancreas cells. Meanwhile, efforts to cure diabetes by transplanting pancreas cells from cadavers have met with limited success.

The report several years ago, by Dr. Denise Faustman of Massachusetts General Hospital, that the pancreas might cure itself, at least in mice, met with skepticism.

"People just didn't believe it," said Dr. David Nathan, director of the diabetes center at Massachusetts General and a longtime supporter of Dr. Faustman. "People said you can't cure diabetes."

But, Dr. Nathan added, "this shows that at least in mice it has been confirmed and reconfirmed and confirmed again."

The three new papers, by researchers at the University of Chicago, Washington University in St. Louis, and Harvard's Joslin Clinic are published today in Science. In every case, the investigators followed Dr. Faustman's procedures, injecting diabetic mice with Freund's Complete Adjuvant, a mixture of water, oil and parts of dead bacteria. It overstimulates the immune system cells that are attacking the pancreas, making those white blood cells self-destruct, effectively stopping the attack and allowing the pancreas to cure itself.

•	A controversial therapy for diabetes is verified The New York Times, Friday, March 24, 2006 Byline: Gina Kolata

•	After Initial Rejection, Scientists Back Work on Cure for Diabetes Science Journal Wall Street Journal, Friday, March 24, 2006 Byline: Sharon Begley, Science Journal column

•	Mouse study advances transplant-free approach to Type 1 diabetes Simple drug regimen could be key to a cure, WU researchers say St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Friday, March 24, 2006 Byline: Eric Hand, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

Story also ran in 47 others:  Monsters and Critics.com (England), NewKerala.com (India), DailyIndia.com (NY), Associated Press, UPI, Knight Ridder Tribune News Service, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, Kansas City Star, Dallas Morning News, Los Angeles Daily News, Wilkes Barre Times-Leader (PA), The Olympian (WA), The Oregonian, Charleston Gazette (WV), Chattanooga Times Free Press (TN), Portsmouth Herald News (NH), Columbus Dispatch (OH), Pioneer Press (MN), The State (SC), St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Kentucky.com, Deseret News (UT), Arizona Daily Star (AZ), Commercial Appeal (TN), Ivanhoe (FL), Belleville News-Democrat (IL), Centre Daily Times (PA), Biloxi Sun Herald (MS), Duluth News Tribune (MN), San Luis Obispo Tribune (CA), Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (GA), Contra Costa Times (CA), Charlotte Observer (NC), Macon Telegraph (GA), Grand Forks Herald (ND), Myrtle Beach Sun News (SC), Bradenton Herald (FL), MedPage Today (NJ), Augusta Chronicle (GA), Science Daily, Sci-Tech Today, WebMD.com, AZ Central.com (AZ), WFIE-TV (IN) and WWAY NewsChannel 3 (NC)