[mcneely]

Hi folks,

I am curious if anyone read about this cure some Canadian researchers found? It was written in the Cell Journal last December 2006. I blogged a bit about it yesterday... It is very interesting and frustrating at the same time.

Has anyone else heard anything on the news about this research and possibly testers?

[Injecto]

There is no cure, and there will never be a cure, only a crude/barbaric treatment.

But otherwise I think you are referring to the sticky thread above this post. Link below.

http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/...g-on-news.html

[DeusXM]

There is no cure, and there will never be a cure, only a crude/barbaric treatment.

No, there will be a cure. There's something like 3 or 4 potentially promising routes, one of which could be yielding results in around 10 years time or so.

[Injecto]

Originally Posted by DeusXM

No, there will be a cure. There's something like 3 or 4 potentially promising routes, one of which could be yielding results in around 10 years time or so.

No offense in the slightest, however, isn't that what people are always told, time and time again, and when the time comes there is always a reason why it doesn't pan out..again. It's alot easier and healthier not to hold out hope for a cure but rather to focus on "management" treatments.

Just thought of this, when talking about a cure, what kind of cure? See, a true cure would be making a person NOT a diabetic and that can only be done by giving a person back their islet cells and ridding them of the reason they were killed in the first place. I suppose they can find a way to prevent diabetes from affecting new people at some future point but then that wouldn't be a cure but rather an "immunization" shall we say?

[DeusXM]

No offense in the slightest, however, isn't that what people are always told, time and time again

Yeah, but now those cures are in trials. We now know about stem cells and we've already demonstrated how we can use those to rebuild islet cells. The problem is just getting the stem cells - that's about 20 years away.

There's also islet cell transplants into the liver - those are the 'crude' ways of curing. We can't really go much further with those but they sorta work, but usually you'll need immunosuppresants.

Then there's a rather surprising tablet 'cure'. Basically there are two drugs (one's called Exendin-4, the other I is lisofylline). One is a highly specialised immunosuppresant that prevents the autoimmune reaction that destroys the islet cells without compromising the rest of the immune system. The other is a specialised growth drug that accelerates the regeneration of islet cells. Both drugs are already used individually on human beings, and they have been tested together as an overall cure in mice. Because these drugs are already approved for human use, the trials for co-operative treatment can take place much sooner (within 5 years) and so we should see results either way in about 10 years.

Researchers’ treatment reverses Type 1 diabetes: 04-28-2006

This cure satisfies both the criteria for your cure and also neatly kicks into touch all the bunk arguments that 'big pharm' is making too much money out of diabetes to cure it - since you'd have to take these tablets for the rest of your life, it's still a money-spinner. It's the most promising of the cures out there for business and scientific reasons and it's also the one that seems to be the closest.

I'd argue it's very healthy to hold out for a cure - my primary motivation for managing my diabetes is that one day I'm not going to have do all this, and so it's in my best interest to make sure my body is in the best condition possible for when that happens.

[jjames]

Isn't this exactly what the sentiment was when a cure for polio was around the corner? People were outraged and saying "how could you say there's a cure?" Heck, right now the President of Namibia claims he has found a cure for AIDs and the recipients recieving this concoction say they are cured. I personally feel there are cures for everything, it will just take time to discover / create them.

Would an effective treatment plan - something more sufficient than pumps and MDI - be satisfiable? Such as encapsulated islet cells? Check out The Chicago Project and its timeline. Would this not be a cure?

For the non-believers, will you be the last ones in line when a cure is "discovered" or will you jump on the band-wagon and push your way to the front?

[E-NICE]

No one in their right mind would not want a better treatment or cure. My only problem is that when the media reports these things, they do it in a way that implies you can throw away your insulin & meds tomorrow.

[Mich]

I'm putting my best thoughts with Dr Denise Faustman's discovery which is just what you described, Injecto. Yay for Lee Iacocca for jumping in to help it happen. And yay for the other researchers who have worked on using the same approach to also make it happen. Thanks Deus for the good background information.

In 46 years of being a diabetic, this is the FIRST TIME I have really believed something good might come our way. I do understand what you are talking about, not wanting to get your hopes up too high though. All of the eggs in one basket and all of that...

In my experience, diabetes and many other conditions don't bite as badly if you train yourself to be a "glass half full" person.

Yikes. Two proverbial sayings in one posting!

By the way, YAY for Elizabeth Edwards too!

Mich

[JediSkipdogg]

I can't say much more than Deus as he hit everything dead on. The biggest thing people don't realize is how far we have come in medical treatments in the past few years. Could we do an open heart transplant 200 years ago? How about artificial limbs that allowed one to fully walk 50 years ago? How about restoring someone that is legally blind to perfect vision 15 years ago? How about cloning something to have the exact DNA of it's "equal" 5 years ago?

Ultimately the Chicago project would be a great treatment minus the immunosuppressants which are sometimes more harmful than the disease. So for that the solution would be to clone the own person's cells or use their own stem cells and get them to produce islet cells and transplant them back in. No rejection drugs needed there. However, that still leaves to the matter what caused the diabetes in the first place. Now remember, this is for a type 1 only...type 2 would be totally different. There is still the problem of what causes type 1 in the first place. And for an ultimate treatment method for that there may be none besides taking a pill to suppress it.

I'm very hopeful for one in my lifetime where I can turn my pump in.

[E-NICE]

That brings up one nagging question I have. Having read about and comfirmed with my endo (he is also a type1) that type 1 or the predisposition to it is at least partially genetic. Would not any permanent cure have to invovle some sort or genetic engineering? Just thought I would put that out there and see if anyone had any thoughts. There was and article on Newsweek's website earlier this year about it.

[jjames]

Genetic engineering . . . would that be a problem? I can see certain some people having an issue with it, but if it were to prevent a disease - I say why not? Heck, they're already on the path (if not already doing) "designer babies." I can see how this can easily and quickly become a moral debate, but I don't think ethics or morals should play any type of role in a cure. If I *absolutely* knew that my son or daughter would *not* develop diabetes or cancer or any other horrible disease through genetic engineering, you bet your left foot I would "play God" for a day. On top of that, I would not care how many "lives" were "sacrificed" (if we include embryonic stemcell research) on the road to the cure. Such a negative opinion I know, but I've always believed in the "better you than me" way of life.

We are certainly all entitled to form our own opinions, though I would question those yet again who "deny" the ways of a cure: will you stay out of the "Cure Line" or will you jump in the queue?

[Injecto]

I should have specifically mentioned that "hope" is something that I'm not personally fond of and is therefore a personal choice for me not to hold out hope. For all those that can use hope as a guide or a positive element in their lives, all the power to you.

IF one day their is a cure I'll be glad for sure, but I'm not as confident as the rest of you. That said, just because one does not have hope does NOT mean they are not entitled to a cure.

I just can't help it though. When I see things like what you posted Jedi, 50 years ago, 200 years ago, my negative mind thinks, well those people 200 years ago didn't benefit from the "cure" 200 years later. I feel we are in the same boat. A cure may be around the corner, but it's a corner that is not in my lifetime of a remaining 40 years at best. Sure things will get better within that 40 years, but not a cure as I see it. God I hope I'm wrong.

[Gangrel]

But 200 years ago, things happened a lot slower. It's like Moore's Law of computing, power doubles every 18 months....

These days, research and innovation happens at a much faster rate due to the increase in technology and tools and communication, etc.

So, I think there WILL be a cure. Is it around the corner? No. Will it happen in my lifetime, a widely useable one? yes, but not until i'm much older.

As a 24 year vet, it may be too late for me anyway, but you know what? I'm ok with that.

I live quite happily with diabetes, so if a cure is not found for me, I'm still going to have a good, full, and happy life. Sure, it's a pain in the rear some days, don't get me wrong.

But I also don't see a reason to get down about it, to hate yoruself, your body, whatever..... Each time you think you've got it bad, remember there are others far worse (and then again, i bet they don't even think of them as such either).

One of the nicest and happiest people i've ever met is in a wheelchair, and some of the grumpiest, most negative people I've met have nothing wrong with them at all.

This disease only sucks when you let it suck your soul.

[Dewey]

Originally Posted by Gangrel

But 200 years ago, things happened a lot slower. It's like Moore's Law of computing, power doubles every 18 months....

These days, research and innovation happens at a much faster rate due to the increase in technology and tools and communication, etc.

So, I think there WILL be a cure. Is it around the corner? No. Will it happen in my lifetime, a widely useable one? yes, but not until i'm much older.

Very true, Gangrel, and well said. Things do happen & change very quickly in our world today. New things are always on the horizon!

Originally Posted by Gangrel

As a 24 year vet, it may be too late for me anyway, but you know what? I'm ok with that.

I live quite happily with diabetes, so if a cure is not found for me, I'm still going to have a good, full, and happy life. Sure, it's a pain in the rear some days, don't get me wrong.

But I also don't see a reason to get down about it, to hate yoruself, your body, whatever..... Each time you think you've got it bad, remember there are others far worse (and then again, i bet they don't even think of them as such either).

One of the nicest and happiest people i've ever met is in a wheelchair, and some of the grumpiest, most negative people I've met have nothing wrong with them at all.

This disease only sucks when you let it suck your soul.

Once again....Well said & Word up! Some of the very nicest people I've ever met are Cancer patients! Some who even wound up passing away, were always cheery & were NEVER negative about their disease.

I've had Diabetes for over 25 years now & in that time, have been through trials & triumphs (more so with Life, not Diabetes). However, for the most part, I've been able to manage well and keep things in check. Innovations like pump therapy have helped immensely, and things like CGMS technology will aid many in years to come.

Now, to answer jjames' question...I'm not a "non-believer" nor do I "deny the ways of a cure"...However, as said in many of my previous posts, I'd gladly stay out of the line or say NO to a cure for myself, and let others benefit from it. I can live with my Diabetes, and have for a very long time. I'm healthy, and can control my sugars & my disease with the tools available today. Personally, I'd rather see diseases like Cancer, Alzheimer's, MS & Parkinson's cured First, but that's just Me.

[Injecto]

Originally Posted by Gangrel

But 200 years ago, things happened a lot slower. It's like Moore's Law of computing, power doubles every 18 months....

These days, research and innovation happens at a much faster rate due to the increase in technology and tools and communication, etc.

I'm very much aware of that, I'm just not going to hold out hope for it. If we were talking about a new iPod/DVD player with a cell phone attached I'd be hopeful that we will see one in just one year, but health? We'll see.

Originally Posted by Gangrel

Each time you think you've got it bad, remember there are others far worse.

Now I've heard this time and time again, and I do understand what you are trying to say (and others who have said it) I really really do. However, and this may be incredibly hard for many to believe but I'm the first person in my whole family (and it's not a small family, including uncles/aunts/cousins/grandparents etc..) to get a chronic disease of any sort. This took the whole family by surprise and I can't even look at another example in my own family and say, "well, at least I wasn't like Grampa Joe, or poor Shelley". This has been a shock from left field across the board. Perhaps one of many reasons why it is so hard to get the perspective that all of you have.