BCG vaccine showing promise for type 1 diabetes — UPDATED
The BCG vaccine, usually used to prevent tuberculosis, will be starting a new phase 2 clinical trial to treat diabetes in children.
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Denise Faustman
The old BCG vaccine may help treat cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s
The 100 year old BCG vaccine, which prevents tuberculosis, may be useful in treating cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and type 1 diabetes.
BCG vaccine and type 1 diabetes – promising early data
An ongoing clinical trial using the bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine, or BCG vaccine, to reverse even advanced type 1 diabetes mellitus has shown promising preliminary data in over 100 patients. Type 1 diabetes is considered irreversible, so if Phase II and III clinical trials shows that the vaccine is safe and effective in reversing diabetes, it would be one of the most important advances in medicine.
In addition, researchers proposed a possible mechanism describing how the BCG vaccine may enhance the immune system, and how it may stop and reverse the damage that leads to diabetes.
Let’s take a look at what we know about diabetes, how the BCG vaccine might be able to reverse type 1 diabetes mellitus, and what the new article reports.
Read More »BCG vaccine and type 1 diabetes – promising early data
Reverse type 1 diabetes mellitus with BCG vaccine – promising results
A clinical trial that examined the potential of the bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine, or BCG vaccine, to reverse even advanced type 1 diabetes mellitus was recently published in a Nature journal. In addition, researchers proposed a possible mechanism describing how the BCG vaccine may enhance the immune system and could stop and reverse the damage that leads to diabetes. But does this constitute evidence that this vaccine can really reverse type 1 diabetes? Spoiler alert – I’m not fully convinced, but my interest is piqued.
The BCG vaccine was initially developed to prevent tuberculosis. It is one of the oldest vaccines available on the market, first used in 1921 (pdf). With the successful eradication of tuberculosis in many countries, the vaccine isn’t used very much anymore, except in countries with endemic tuberculosis.
Let’s take a look at what we know about diabetes, how the BCG vaccine might be able to reverse type 1 diabetes mellitus, and what the new article reports.Read More »Reverse type 1 diabetes mellitus with BCG vaccine – promising results
BCG vaccine – can it reverse type 1 diabetes mellitus?
Initial results from a clinical trial that is testing the ability of the bacillus Calmette-Guerin, or BCG vaccine, to reverse even advanced type 1 diabetes mellitus. In addition, researchers seem to have identified how the vaccine enhances the immune system, stopping and reversing the damage that leads to diabetes.
The BCG vaccine was developed to prevent tuberculosis. It is one of the oldest vaccines available on the market, first used in 1921 (pdf). With the successful eradication of tuberculosis in many countries, the vaccine isn’t used very much anymore, except in countries with endemic tuberculosis.
Although the results are very preliminary, the BCG vaccine may very well lead to an effective “cure” for type 1 diabetes. This will be an exciting development for what is now considered to be an incurable disease.
Let’s take a look at what we know about diabetes and how the BCG vaccine is able to reverse the disease.Read More »BCG vaccine – can it reverse type 1 diabetes mellitus?