Treat type 1 diabetes
An MGH research team brings a new vaccine for treating type 1 diabetes. The vaccine bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), an inexpensive vaccine that is widely used to prevent tuberculosis.
In three years of clinical trial on type 1 diabetes patients, researchers showed an improvement in HbA1c after receiving two administrations of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine four weeks apart.
Denise Faustman, principal investigator of BCG, said, this is clinical validation of the potential to stably lower blood sugars to near normal levels with a safe vaccine, even in patients with longstanding disease.
Vaccine clinical trials
however, in clinical trials, researchers found that HbA1C levels reduced by over 10% in patients who receiving BCG at three years after treatment and by over 18% at four years.
In mice tests, the scientists found that BCG could decrease blood sugar elevations that cause autoimmune attack, raising the possibility that BCG vaccine could also benefit against type 2 diabetes.
Researchers said, the clinical effects and the proposed mechanism showed that the BCG vaccine can have a lasting and valuable impact on the immune system. However, the BCG vaccination initiates epigenetic reprogramming at the chromatin design level and functional modifications of a permanent change in immunity.
Researchers believe this latest medical study may prompt a big move in the prevention and treatment of infections and autoimmunity. Currently, A Phase 2 clinical study is in progress. While, researchers hoping to mimic results from the first trial and zero in on the most effective dosing.