New Health Articles Sitemap 
 
Search: 
 
HOME > ARTICLES > DIABETES > TYPE-1-TREATMENT
morefocus
Allergies Arthritis Automimmune diseases Bladder problems Blood and vascular disorders Cancer Cholesterol Diabetes Erectile dysfunction Headaches Heart problems Heartburn and gerd Herpes Hypertension Intestinal problems Lung diseases Obesity Osteoporosis Pain Prostate problems Psychiatric disorders Salivary glands Skin disorders Sleep Turner syndrome Wellness Womens health  

New Drugs and Treatments Reduce Type I Diabetes Complications

While Type 1 Diabetes would kill nearly all who had it in the past, in modern times, it is a treatable condition that may be within arm's reach of a cure. Treatment for diabetics has revolved around insulin therapy ever since the discovery of insulin by a pair of Canadian researchers back in the 1920s. Insulin therapy has allowed diabetics to live longer, healthier lives. However, it's an expensive, time-consuming treatment that isn't a cure for the condition.

To understand the treatments and potential cures for Type 1 Diabetes, one must have a basic knowledge of what it is and why it occurs. Basically, diabetes is the result of the body's inability, due to a lack of insulin, to process glucose into the cells of the body where it is used for energy. In Type 1 Diabetes, insulin deficiency is usually due to a condition in which a newborn's immune system attacks the cells in the baby's own pancreas, the organ that manufactures insulin.

In the 1920s, insulin harvested from cattle and pigs was found to be a suitable treatment for human forms of diabetes. With a few improvements made along the way, this has been the basic treatment regimen ever since.

Current Therapy Improvements
The insulin pump is one of the biggest steps forward in Type 1 Diabetes therapy. The pump allows a diabetic to use fast-acting insulin in exact doses through a catheter implanted under the skin. This prevents a diabetic from having to take multiple injections throughout the day.

The insulin pump calculates the necessary insulin dose ahead of time by taking blood glucose averages throughout the day for a number of days and then programming them into the pump's computer. The pump also allows for extra doses (boluses) to be easily administered according to the dietary and exercise needs of the patient.

Potential Cures for Type 1 Diabetes
As much as insulin therapy has saved and improved the lives of diabetics, a cure is badly needed to eliminate the harmful side effects and immense costs associated with insulin therapy. Fortunately, a number of cures are on the horizon. Some of these cures include:

  • artificial pancreas implantation
  • insulin-producing cell transplantations (Islets of Langerhans or beta islet cells)
  • immune system therapies that stop the immune system's attack cells (alpha T-cells) from attacking the body's own insulin producing cells.
Working like the present-day insulin pump, the artificial pancreas has a built-in blood glucose monitoring system. About every minute of the day, the artificial pancreas tests the blood for glucose levels and administers the corresponding dose of insulin. This therapy, while not really a cure, is a temporary treatment for patients awaiting pancreas or tissue transplants.

Pancreas and Tissue Transplants
While pancreas transplants are a viable treatment option, transplants that involve the whole pancreas are rarely done and are not considered a promising cure. This is due to the fact that complete transplants require a lifetime use of anti-rejection drugs to prevent the patient's kidneys from responding negatively to the new organ. Only Type I diabetics who have had their entire pancreases removed receive entire transplants of their pancreases.

Tissue (islet cell) transplantation is currently being done with a great deal of success and holds a great deal of promise for a near-term cure. The IL tissues can be transplanted into the pancreas, liver or spleen, where they seem to operate normally in most cases. While anti-rejection therapy is still needed, the therapy requires much smaller doses. In fact, in some cases, anti-rejection therapy can be spread over time, depending on tissue matches.

With the advent of stem cell research, tissue transplantation therapy has been further advanced. Researchers are finding ways to use stem cells to grow insulin-producing cells for transplant, thereby eliminating the risks of tissue rejection and the need for anti-rejection drugs altogether. These cells can be transplanted into muscle or fat tissues, eliminating the need for intra-abdominal surgery as well.

Although many medical advancements appear to promise a cure on the horizon, immune system therapy still holds the best option for a cure, because it seems to eliminate the cause of the disease in most cases. This complex therapy trains the immune system's alpha T-cells not to attack the healthy beta islet cells during critical developmental stages where the T-cells do the most damage. (T-cells are immune system cells trained to attack the body's own cells, usually defective ones like cancer cells.) The biggest obstacle to overcome in this field of research is getting the T-cells to specifically stop attacking islet cells while still guarding the body from other legitimate cell targets.

Until scientists find a cure, Type I diabetics should diligently monitor and control their blood glucose levels with both traditional insulin therapy and insulin pumps. Proper maintenance can help them avoid the destructive side effects of this disease until a cure is found.

Ads by Yahoo!
About Type 1 Diabetes
The Facts About Type 1 Diabetes: Insulin Info, Coping Tips & Advice.
Rapid-Acting-Insulin.com

Managing Diabetes and ED
Learn about what to do if your diabetes is impacting your sex life.
inhealth.about.com

Managing Type 1 Diabetes
Learn how amylin and insulin partner to control blood sugar.
Amylin.com/amylinandinsulin


  Home | About Us | Terms of Use | Privacy & Security | Site Map | © morefocus group, inc.