INIT II area updated May 9, 2007
The INIT II trial is now recruiting in Australia and New Zealand! Watch this space for information, or visit the INIT II website at www.stopdiabetes.com.au/
Type 1 diabetes
is a condition in which the immune system reacts against the insulin-producing
beta cells in the pancreas, eventually destroying the beta cells and
causing a lack of insulin. Without the hormone insulin, the cells of
the body are unable to use glucose and the level of glucose in the blood
increases and causes symptoms of diabetes.
The aim of the INIT II trial is to determine if exposure of the immune
system in the mucus membranes to insulin, by treatment with intranasal
insulin, will stop the immune reaction and further loss of beta cells.
This could prevent diabetes and the need for insulin injections.
The intranasal insulin acts only on the mucus membranes and is not absorbed
into the body. Insulin given this way does not affect blood glucose
and will not cause hypoglycaemia (“hypos”).
Research
on mice that develop type 1 diabetes shows that exposure of the mucus
membranes to insulin by treatment with intranasal insulin acts like
a vaccine to induce protective immune cells that counteract the “bad”
immune cells that damage the beta cells. In a recently-completed trial
in children and young adults at risk type for type 1 diabetes, insulin
given via a nasal spray was found to be safe and to cause immune changes
similar to those in the mice that were protected from getting diabetes.
It is now important to prove that along with these immune changes we
can preserve beta-cell function and stop progression to diabetes.
Click here
to read more about INIT II, or here to register online for screening.
Or, you can follow one of the links below to learn
about specific aspects of the trial...
