Health

Spleen cells may contribute to beta-cell regeneration in diabetics

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Dec. 18, 2006

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A treatment combining an immune adjuvant with cells from the spleen may help reverse type 1 diabetes, according to a technical comment published in the Nov. 24 Science.

Several previous studies have confirmed that a protocol combining Freund's complete adjuvant, which suppresses the immune cells that destroy pancreatic islets, with transplanted splenocytes can resolve this condition in mice. The reports were inconclusive, however, regarding the role these spleen cells played in this recovery.

According to this paper, surrounding endogenous cells appeared to be the source of the revived islets but that the transplanted cells hastened the recovery.

"It is still early, but it appears that there are multiple potential sources for regenerating islets," said Denise Faustman, MD, PhD, lead author and director of the Immunobiology Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. "As a research community we should pursue all avenues. We're excited to see what will happen in humans."

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/12/18/hlbf1218.htm.

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