The Sanford Project has recently began a research study to determine whether the medications can rescue the few beta cell that remain after the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes; and whether new beta cells can even be regenerated.
“The investigational combinations of these medications could possibly allow patients to decrease or no longer need to inject insulin to keep their blood levels under proper control,” commented Dr. Alex Rabinovitch, the associate director of The Sanford Project and principal investigator of the trial.
An early research made by Dr. Rabinovitch led to the discovery of a treatment that can regenerate insulin-producing pancreatic islet beta cells, which has shown promising results among lab mice. This novel beta-cell regeneration is being tested in this latest research.
The trial is seeking up to 54 patients who are willing to participate in the trial. The ideal candidate should be between 11 to 45 years of age, has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes within the last four months, and able to visit the Sanford office in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Thirty-six patients will receive test medications during the trial, while the rest will be given placebos that will be taken daily for 12 months.
The medications included in this trial is a combination of FDA-approved drugs that are widely used for other medical conditions. Sitagliptin (pictured) is a drug that controls blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes, while Lansoprazole is prescribed as an antacid for heartburn.
Interested patients who want to enroll in the trial may contact The Sanford Project at 605-328-1368 or visit www.sanforproject.org for more details.
Source: Diabetes Health
Tags: alex rabinovitch, diabetes medication, diabetes research, diabetes treatment, diabetes treatment research, diabetes type 1 research, diabetes type 1 treatment, lansoprazole treatment, sitagliptin research, the sanford project, type 1 diabetes treatment