Researchers have discovered that the drug called rituximab, typically used to treat autoimmune disorders, may have the ability to slow the destruction of insulin-producing cells in those diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
All participants in the study had been recently diagnosed with type 1 and those who received the drug were given injections for four weeks. At the one year follow-up, participants who received rituximab needed lower doses of insulin and were able to make more of their own insulin than those who received the placebo.
Though it is not believed that rituximab can reverse type 1, the results do provide evidence that certain cells play a significant role in the development of type 1 diabetes. This knowledge may help researchers to further understand how these cells destroy the beta cells that make insulin.
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