Over the past 15 years, we at Drive to Cure Diabetes have raised $196,000 to support the work of Dr. Denise Faustman of Massachusetts General Hospital. We believe in her, her team, and the hope she gives us that one day, we'll be able to announce a "cure" for Type-1 Diabetes. Each year that passes we hope that soon, our daughter and many thousands of other sons and daughters could start living without fear of highs and lows that invariably happen; that some day, they could sleep nights without fear.
It now seems the time has arrived!
We get monthly newsletters from MGH which often highlight Dr. Faustman's progress. A recent one gave a cursory description of recent results that sounded promising.
We have mentioned here about the use of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin ("BCG") to elevate the immune system to release a tumor necrosis factor that eliminates T-cells attacking the pancreas. This research was a totally different approach. In a paper, which was published in "Nature" she described an alternate pathway for the stability of A1C values in the initial phase 1 trial subjects over the past 5 years.
I was confused, so we asked her what was the real situation. She explained that the markers she expected to see in this initial group that would indicate production of insulin did not appear in quantities that would justify her results. That is, the pancreas was regenerating, at least for some time, but not to return the patient to a stabler A1C, and not like what she was seeing. So, she and her team looked a bit deeper, and this was the subject of the above mentioned paper.
It now appears that they have discovered a new pathway for BCG to lower blood sugars to near normal. The BCG seemed to modify an enzyme that induces absorption of blood sugar into cells, just as insulin does. What's more, this seems relatively stable, even when no more BCG is administered. Upon further examination, they noticed that the BCG acts upon the DNA to produce these lasting changes in enzymes, which were not present in the absence of BCG. It's like BCG modified the DNA, so that a previously dormant gene was now active.
Research indicated that, historically, the gene was active, but as we became more concerned for a sterile environment, the microbe in the body that would, on its own, produce BCG-like effects was now absent. As Dr. Faustman said, we no longer eat dirt with our foods. This microbe seems to be a very ancient one, existing as far back as traceable.
With this new knowledge, her team re-examined her earlier results with mice and noted that they, too, had the genes expressed. So, current hypothesis is that this is a long term, and quite natural solution to type 1 diabetes, and also explains why it appears to work on patients of any age and who have had the disease for many years. It was always inside of you, just waiting for the right key.
Go to the paper linked above, and scroll down to the "Results" section. There you will find the following:
"BCG treatment subjects with the improved and tight blood sugar control demonstrated blood sugar stability and lowered blood sugar persistently for 5 continuous years after the initial drop in values. Semi-annual surveys confirmed that during year 03 to year 08 after BCG vaccinations there were no reports of severe hypoglycemia by any patient, even with lowered HbA1Cs near the normal range, and no change in their care as it related to new insulin pumps or continuous glucose monitoring devices."
In layman's terms, no need for insulin for five years!
Her paper has been covered by CNN, Time, UPI, Newsweek, Washington Post and others. See many more links by going to FaustmanLab.org. She gave presentations to the 78th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association and the 54th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the the Study of Diabetes (EASD).
On March 1, 2022, Faustman Lab announced the launch of a pediatric trial in partnership with NYU Langlne Health. Click here to go to the press release.
"Drive to Cure Diabetes", our 501(c)3 is our attempt to help raise money too fund Dr. Faustman's work. 100% of all donations go to Dr. Faustman. You may also go directly to Dr. Faustman's site at https://www.faustmanlab.org.
Even if you don't play golf, you can contribute to our organization by clicking on the "Make a Donation" page. Rest assured that all of your donation will be sent to Dr. Faustman and her team.
We will not be hosting a golf outing in 2024 as we eagerly await the "read-out" from the phase 2 trials. The results should be published by year's end, and if they are as promising as we hope they will be, we will do one more outing in 2025.
Links to Other Important Sites
Doctor Faustman's Web Site //www.faustmanlab.org
Dr. Faustman's web site is where one can find the latest information regarding the round-2 human trials, scheduled to being this fall. One can also find a link to her press releases, papers her laboratory has published, and honors she and her laboratory have received.
You may also make a donation to her work through the Massachusetts General Hospital.
The Juvenile Diabetes Cure Alliance //www.thejdca.org
This private, non-profit organization is dedicated to the encouragement and reporting of advances towards a "practical cure" for type-1 diabetes; that is, one that allows a diabetic the freedom to live a normal life (exercise, diet, sleeping, etc) without needing to be constantly aware of insulin delivery and blood sugar levels. A "Practical Cure" is not necessarily a complete cure of diabetes (which would be great), but like a chronic issue like high blood pressure. You can read about various practical cures now under development and testing at thi ssite.
You can also read studies analyzing the level of funding by major diabetes-associated organizations such as ADA and JDRF, towards a practical cure. These may surprise you. More specifically, please see the list of reports produced by The JDCA.