Dr Faustman's TB drug trial in the news!

[morrisma]

Small study shows that long term type 1's regain the ability to product insulin for a short while. Dosing changes may extend that.

Larger study underway.

Tuberculosis Vaccine Used In Controversial Type 1 Diabetes 'Cure'

Where do I sign up?
Mike

[xMenace]

Just saw this. And it worked on humans, not just those measly mice.

[PinkRose]

Wow! So it's all about the Tumour Necrosis Factor TNF that the TB vaccine apparently fosters. No adverse side effects in any of the patients either. Where do I sign up?

[morrisma]

John,
The article covered some of the difficulties Faustman has had getting funding and support from what should have been allies in the fight. If her treatment protocol turns out to have value, the JDRF and others are going to look pretty lame. Lamer.
Mike

[Jan B]

Is this news new, or is it older news just being reported? For some reason, it doesn't seem "new news" to me.

[morrisma]

Jan,
I think it is reporting on the results of the very small human trials. Things take time to reach the popular press so the results may have been published elsewhere but this is the first time I have seen the story laid out so clearly.

Dr Faustman has been pursuing this theory for many years without much support from major donors and more than a bit of derision. maybe this will help her get more funding.
Mike

[xMenace]

Two of three people with dead pancreases are now producing insulin.

[Tribbles]

Two of three people with dead pancreases are now producing insulin.

Two out of three people produced insulin for a week I believe. Problem is that it isn't maintained, you need to keep taking the shots.

It's quite odd but the whole paper focuses around the T-cell results and the c-peptide results are a relatively small part. The paper itself is here (PLoS ONE: Proof-of-Concept, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial of Bacillus-Calmette-Guerin for Treatment of Long-Term Type 1 Diabetes).

[Gigem99]

John,
.... If her treatment protocol turns out to have value, the JDRF and others are going to look pretty lame. Lamer.
Mike

It makes me insane that the JDRF won't do anything to help Dr. Faustman. When I lived in MA, I went to a JDRF presentation by Dr. Aaron Kowalski, who heads up the JDRF's artificial pancreas project. I asked him point-blank why the JDRF won't support Dr. Faustman, and he just kind of shrugged and said "Well, there's only so much to go around". Aaargh!!

The stinkin' JDRF pours so many hundreds of millions into the artificial pancreas, but they can't even come up with a couple for what may be a real cure - even though admittedly a long shot? I've gotten to where I actively discourage people from supporting the JDRF - they just don't seem to be focused on a cure - and they admit it, now.

I'm not real sure why Dr. Faustman has been in the news all over the web all of a sudden over the past few days, but I'm glad to see it. I've spent a ton of money, time and energy participating in phase II of her trial, and she really does need the money. The money from the Iacocca Fund is pretty much exhausted from phase I.

I'm have another appointment at her lab in October - I hope I can afford to go back there, but it is looking increasingly like I won't be able to make it. I thought I was going to get a shot last year when I went, but all they did was draw more blood. I'll swear, they've taken about 3-4 gallons of my blood.

[PinkRose]

Is this news new, or is it older news just being reported? For some reason, it doesn't seem "new news" to me.

Good point Jan - I only realised this is actually old news. I wonder why it's suddenly in the media all of a sudden?

[NoraWI]

Good point Jan - I only realised this is actually old news. I wonder why it's suddenly in the media all of a sudden?

Not truly old news because I never saw the results of the last trial until now, only that it was very small. Probably is in the media all of a sudden because Faustman needs money to continue. I suspect her last trial included so few because of the lack of resources, which impinges on credibility, which constricts funding further. A catch 22! I think the JDRF snubs Faustman because they are strongly funded by pharmaceuticals. A cure would not benefit pharmaceuticals. Also, she is a no-nonsense type of person and her abrasive style probably rubbed them wrong!

[ant hill]

Sorry Mike as this is old news, Faustmen's Lab has had a news letter about long timers T1's ability to gain some beta cells at least 5 months ago. I would love to know how the latest findings in the human triles.

It's all very well that a cure be possible, Not in our lifetime.

[PinkRose]

The more I read about the politics around JDRF, the more my BP rises. I hope this isn't any underhanded secret opposition to her work. When we consider that many inventions or new theories were often ridiculed in history before they were proven to be correct. Let's hope this may just be another exampe of this natural scepticism.

Our friend here who has been trying this BCG vaccine on himself does not appear to be getting any results. Whereas in the small trial conducted by Faustman, the dosages sounded much smaller.

Sounds to me like it's not the BCG vaccine itself that is the cure but rather some chemical component of it that induces a temporary end to the autoimmune attack.

[ant hill]

As long that Pharmaceutical Companies fund Faustman's work, If there was a cure of some kind they just sweep it under a carpet somewhere. Pump Companies will not just stop their production of their fat profit of trillion dollar industry.

If Faustman had independent funding, Then she can yell at world without being held back from Pharmaceutical Companies of a cure.

[jbmacomber]

It seems several here may have hit on the real reason there is no funding, a cure would be a multi-billion dollar loss for the pharmaceutical companies and investors.