Immunotherapy could slow progression of Type I diabetes

In a paper published in Science Translational Medicine, researchers at King’s College London and colleagues reported data from a Phase Ib trial suggesting that an antigen-specific peptide immunotherapy could slow the progression of Type I diabetes.

The researchers evaluated intradermal injections of the C19-A3 proinsulin peptide immunotherapy given every two or four weeks compared to placebo in 27 newly diagnosed Type I diabetics. Patients treated with the proinsulin peptide showed no evidence of accelerated C-peptide loss, whereas patients who received placebo showed a significant decline in C-peptide levels. The researchers said that C-peptide retention was associated with increased production of the immune suppressive cytokine IL-10 and increased Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) expression by regulatory T cells...