Study of new Exsulin(TM) peptide treatment for type 1 diabetes starts this month
A clinical trial of Exsulin, an innovative new treatment that targets the underlying cause of type 1 diabetes, has begun at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). Under the direction of Dr. George Tsoukas of the MUHC and the McGill University Faculty of Medicine, the study will assess the effectiveness of Exsulin.
This potentially groundbreaking therapy was made possible by fundamental research led by Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg of the MUHC and McGill University Faculty of Medicine. The study is conducted in partnership with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Type 1 diabetes is triggered when a patient's immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This prevents normal insulin secretion and the normal regulation of blood sugar levels. There is currently no cure for type 1 diabetes and it can only be controlled through regular insulin injections. Although these injections partially avoid sugar level fluctuations in the blood they do not prevent the onset of other complications.
Dr. Rosenberg and his colleagues have been working on an Exsulin-based treatment to stimulate the regrowth of insulin-producing beta cells in diabetic patients for more than 25 years.
"Exsulin has already been tested in animal models of diabetes," he explained. "These experiments demonstrated that Exsulin injections help restore insulin production in animals whose insulin production had been lost. For example, mice injected with this new molecule were cured of their diabetes."