Tuberculosis Vaccine (BCG) Can Treat Type 1 Diabetes

June 25, 2018  Source: FierceBiotech 551

A team of scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) revealed that the tuberculosis vaccine named BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) restores beneficial immune cells which could treat type 1 diabetes. They are currently in the process of trying to quantify the drug dose. Administration of two doses of BCG with a duration of four weeks apart can normalize the blood sugar levels for up to eight years. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a protein that eliminates improper immune cells that destroy pancreatic islets, involved in immune production. But the administration of BCG can ultimately regulate T cells and boost TNF production.

In this new study, the MGH team came across another observation. Denise Faustman, M.D., Ph.D., the principal investigator and director of the MGH Immunobiology Laboratory said, “BCG not only resets the immune response at the DNA level, but it also resets the metabolism for high sugar elimination.”

 MGH collected around $20 million to fund the BCG research in diabetes, of which retired Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca’s family foundation is one of the biggest supporters.

Now, the MGH team is halfway through a five-year phase 2 BCG study in diabetes patients. Regarding this study, Faustman said “Up until now all immune-based trials in diabetes have involved patients with newly diagnosed diseases; nobody thought you could intervene with an immunotherapy in people 10, 20 years out. To have data showing durability for 8 years, without revaccination, is remarkable.”

By Ddu
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