Endocrine Abstracts

Background: To arrest the immune-mediated destruction of the insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells in type 1 diabetes (T1D), interventional studies have predominantly focussed on two distinct approaches: arresting the ongoing immune response or protecting the pancreatic beta cells. Recently, both approaches using respectively low-dose anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG), an immune-depleting agent, and verapamil, a calcium channel blocker with beta cell protective ...

Background and aims: An interesting approach in the pursuit for a cure of type 1 diabetes is restoration of immune tolerance by a combination treatment of low-dose aCD3 with the islet antigen proinsulin (PINS) and the pro-tolerogenic cytokine IL-10 administered orally via genetically modified Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis) bacteria. The purpose of adding PINS is to expand antigen-specific Tregs as they are believed to migrate preferentially to disease-related target o...