Therapies to Preserve β-Cell Function in Type 1 Diabetes

In spite of modern techniques, the burden for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus will not disappear, and type 1 diabetes will remain a life-threatening disease causing severe complications and increased mortality. We have to learn of ways to stop the destructive process, preserve residual insulin secretion or even improve the disease via beta-cell regeneration. This will give a milder disease, a more stable metabolism, simpler treatment and perhaps even cure. Therapies based on single drugs have not shown sufficient efficacy; however, there are several treatments with encouraging efficacy and no apparent, or rather mild, adverse events. As the disease process is heterogeneous, treatments have to be chosen to fit relevant subgroups of patients, and step by step efficacy can possibly be improved by the use of combination therapies. Thus immunosuppressive therapies like anti-CD3 and anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies might be combined with fusion proteins such as etanercept [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitor] and/or abatacept (CTLA4-Ig) early after onset to stop the destructive process, supported by beta-cell protective agents. The effect may be prolonged by using autoantigen therapy [glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) proinsulin], and by adding agents facilitating beta-cell regeneration [e.g. glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)] there should be a good chance to make the disease milder, perhaps leading to cure in some patients.