# New diabetes treatment just announced? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 14, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-diabetes-treatment-just-announced/213146 "2003-11-14T01:06:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-diabetes-treatment-just-announced/213146/1 "2003-11-14T01:06:27Z")
Just seen an announcement on BBC news that a new type 1 EXPERIMENTAL diabetes treatment has been announced a few hours ago. They claim that in experments on mice they have reversed diabetes in mice within 40 days so that the mice no longer need insulin. Just Googled for a while and turned up no informative links, guess there will be many very soon, but in the meantime… 1. Can we have some informed opinions from medical Dopers, please? 2. How does one get on the list for medical trials? I am not diabetic, but I have a very beloved friend in the USA who has it quite seriously (several injections a day) ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-diabetes-treatment-just-announced/213146/2 "2003-11-14T01:18:17Z")
I’m a two injections a day type of guy. (testing my blood 5+ times a day is what kills me and costs too much $$$) When links start showing up please post them I’d love to hear some new treatments. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-diabetes-treatment-just-announced/213146/3 "2003-11-14T01:18:23Z")
I would be interested in learning about this as well, t hough I am not a diabetic either. ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-diabetes-treatment-just-announced/213146/4 "2003-11-14T01:19:26Z")
[Link now up.](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3266987.stm) ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-diabetes-treatment-just-announced/213146/5 "2003-11-14T01:28:15Z")
Hmmm, check the link under “see also” on the page I just linked to (top right of page), there was an announcment in June **2001** that says the same thing, and quotes from the same scientist. Shit, hope I haven’t jumped the gun here, I **really** want this to be genuine. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-diabetes-treatment-just-announced/213146/6 "2003-11-14T02:37:04Z")
This treatment seems to hold hope for those type I (juvenile) diabetics whose disease is caught _very_ early, before pancreatic islet cell function is lost completely. I doubt it would have a role in treating those with established type I disease. And working in mice means its still a long way away from working in humans. Best bet: Combine this approach with stem cell research. Stem cells to replace lost islet cells, and immunotherapy to keep the body from attacking the new islet cells. Of course, fruitful stem cell research is gonna be scarce in the US due to the paucity of stem cell lines. QtM, MD ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-diabetes-treatment-just-announced/213146/7 "2003-11-14T11:04:11Z")
Thanks, **Qadgop**. Didn’t really have my hopes up. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-diabetes-treatment-just-announced/213146/8 "2003-11-14T21:17:37Z")
Well, I saw a longer article on it today, and actually it is quite a breakthru. Again, it won’t be translated into changes we’ll be seeing clinically tomorrow or next year, but maybe time time to make a difference for some current people with type I in their lifetime ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-diabetes-treatment-just-announced/213146/9 "2003-11-14T22:36:21Z")
**Qadgop** , My doctor mentioned that they are developing an inhaler so that diabetics can use that instead of injections. Have you heard of anything like this or is it something that is still a long time in developing? I can only imagine what a relief that would be for diabetics. ---
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-diabetes-treatment-just-announced/213146/10 "2003-11-16T21:49:16Z")
Insulin Inhaler is being worked on. Another product in development is a device to measure blood sugar without getting blood out of your body. It will be like the device that goes on your finger at the hospital that measures oxygen saturation in your blood. The reading will be done through the skin. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-diabetes-treatment-just-announced/213146/11 "2003-11-16T21:53:35Z")
they already have the watch that measures your sweat and gives you a blood sugar reading off of it. (it’s in the movie Panic Room) only problem is it costs a TON of money and is only about 80% accurate. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-diabetes-treatment-just-announced/213146/12 "2003-11-18T18:01:32Z")
\*\* > [@](#): > > Another product in development is a device to measure blood sugar without getting blood out of your body. It will be like the device that goes on your finger at the hospital that measures oxygen saturation in your blood. The reading will be done through the skin. \*\* A nurse I worked with has used something like this in a military hospital (?)