A groundbreaking study published in the journal Cell suggests that scientists may have found a cure for diabetes and other debilitating autoimmune diseases. Researchers at NYU Langone Health, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Zhejiang University looked into why the body’s defense mechanism goes haywire and turns against itself, leading to incurable conditions.
The study focused on type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, hepatitis, and found that these diseases affect over 10 million Americans. While therapies and medications can partially manage symptoms, they often have unpleasant side effects and can lead to permanent damage and premature death.
However, the new research proposes a treatment called LAG-3/TCR Bispecific T cell Silencer or BiTS, which could potentially stop all these incurable disorders by ‘resetting’ the immune system. This approach involves introducing an antibody that helps regulate the activity of T-cells, a type of white blood cell that plays a crucial role in the immune system.
T-cells can mistakenly attack healthy tissue if they struggle to differentiate between healthy cells and those that cause illness or disease. The new research suggests that by exposing T-cells to a protein called chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), it can alter their DNA and change the way they attack the body.
The BiTS treatment has shown promise in reducing inflammation and liver damage in autoimmune models of hepatitis, as well as preventing disease progression in mice with multiple sclerosis. Experts predict that this could be one of the biggest advances in treatment for decades.
While introducing a new treatment means re-exposing patients to childhood vaccinations, researchers are cautiously optimistic about the potential benefits of BiTS. The study’s findings reveal an intricate mechanism that enables a careful treatment approach to T-cell driven autoimmune diseases, which currently lack effective immunotherapies.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-14861129/scientists-possible-diabetes-cure-stem-cell-trial.html