GAD-alum (Diamyd)--a new concept for preservation of residual insulin secretion.
BACKGROUND
Type 1 diabetes is a common and very serious disease. There has been very active research going on for a long time aiming at preservation of the residual insulin secretion by some kind of intervention to stop the destructive autoimmune process. This review covers a new type of immune intervention using auto-antigen treatment.


METHODS
Immune interventions in type 1 diabetes have been tried during the last 30 years, this review mentions some of them, but the main topic is the use of the auto-antigen glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) to create tolerance to stop the autoimmune process. The clinical trials have been performed during the last 15 years and are all covered.


RESULTS
This review will give the reader a picture of the research behind treatment with GAD as an immune intervention in type 1 diabetes.


CONCLUSIONS
The key finding so far is that treatment with Diamyd has not only been shown to preserve residual beta cell function in type 1 diabetes, but this treatment may be the proof in humans of a new concept of treating and perhaps even preventing autoimmune diseases.
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Pediatrics and Diabetes Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE 581 85 Linköping, Sweden. Johnny.ludvigsson@lio.se
Johnny
J
Ludvigsson
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000534:Alum Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000534:Alum Compounds; D007328:Insulin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C041524:aluminum sulfate; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase