A first patient has recently been treated at the LUMC with a new immunotherapy for type 1 diabetes (T1D). This marks an important new phase in the approach to this disease.
In type 1 diabetes (T1D), the body’s immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. As a result, the body can no longer produce enough insulin on its own. Patients therefore need to inject insulin to keep their blood sugar levels under control.
This new therapy, developed at the LUMC, aims to ensure that the immune system leaves the insulin-producing cells unharmed, allowing the body to continue producing insulin itself.
Cells modified in the laboratory
For this immunotherapy, researchers use dendritic cells: immune cells that help determine whether the body should attack something or leave it alone. In the patients taking part in the study, several precursors of these cells are taken from the blood. In the laboratory, scientists modify these precursors so that they can slow down the immune response against insulin-producing cells.
The patients then receive the modified dendritic cells back through an injection into the skin. In this way, the researchers hope that the immune system will respond less aggressively and leave the insulin-producing cells unharmed. The ultimate goal is for patients to retain their insulin-producing cells for longer.
Safety first
In this phase of the research, the primary aim is to first test the safety of the therapy in patients who still have insulin-producing cells. A total of ten T1D patients will take part in the study.
One of the conditions for participation is that patients must have been diagnosed with T1D no more than five years ago. These patients often still produce some insulin themselves. This is important for the study, as it allows researchers to measure the effect of the therapy on insulin production.
An important step
The study is led by Dr Tanja Nikolic and Prof. Dr Jaap Jan Zwaginga. The treatment method was conceived and developed by Prof. Dr Bart Roep and Dr Nikolic. Together with Zwaginga, they also carried out the first research phase of the therapy.
Nikolic: “In the meantime, the treatment phase for the first patient has been completed. So far, this patient has not experienced any complaints. We will continue to follow the patient for another two years to monitor safety and diabetes control.”
If the therapy proves to be safe in all ten patients, research into the effectiveness of this treatment will follow in increasingly larger groups of patients. It may therefore still take several years before this therapy becomes available outside scientific research. Nevertheless, this study can be seen as an important step towards curing T1D.
Cure One: working towards a cure
At Cure One, the T1D research centre established last year, methods are being developed and tested that go beyond treating symptoms and are instead focused on finding a cure.
At least 100,000 people in the Netherlands live with T1D. Behind that number are just as many lives that revolve every day around measuring, injecting and calculating. Cure One was founded on the belief that this can and must be different. Not someday, but as soon as possible.
Cure One is an initiative and partnership between the Dutch Diabetes Research Foundation (DON) and the LUMC. Together, they are building a place where fundamental research and clinical application come together.
This clinical trial is co-funded by the Helmsley Charitable Trust in New York.
