There have been several blog postings about this on the Diabetes OC
blogs (http://diabetesoc.blogspot.com/).

Bernard
http://www.bernardfarrell.com/blog/blogger.html

--- In nathanfaustmantrials@yahoogroups.com, Gr8discjck
<gr8discjck@...> wrote:
>
> Well, you would think that with some of the recent findings, there
certainly would be a lot of discussion here. I'm disappointed. My last
posting regarding the nervous system playing a role in T1, throws all
research on it's ear.
>
> imcimc1 <curtieimc@...> wrote: It seems that if there is no
new research news from the Faustman lab
> then there is no dialogue on this Yahoo group.
>
> --- In nathanfaustmantrials@yahoogroups.com, Gr8discjck
> <gr8discjck@> wrote:
> >
> > Has everyone given up hope? This group has been silent for a long
> time.
> > What gives?
> >
> > Gr8discjck <gr8discjck@> wrote:
> > http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2006/12/14/diabetes-
> neuron.html#skip300x250
> >
> > Canadian scientists reverse diabetes in mice Last Updated:
> Friday, December 15, 2006 | 8:04 AM ET CBC News
> >
> > Researchers working on a "breakthrough" discovery that identifies
> the role of pain nerves in the cells that produce insulin have
> prevented and reversed diabetes in mice.
> > The work "led us to fundamentally new insights into the
> mechanisms of this disease," Dr. Michael Salter, co-principal
> investigator, said in a release Thursday that characterized the
> findings as a breakthrough.
> > Researchers concluded that the pain receptors don't secrete
> enough neuropeptides � chemical elements found in the brain � to keep
> the pancreatic islets, which produce insulin, working normally.
> Without insulin, humans die, and even the current replacement
> therapies cannot prevent side effects, such as heart attack,
> blindness, stroke, loss of limbs and kidney failure.
> > But by supplying neuropeptides to diabetes-prone mice, "the
> research group learned how to treat the abnormality � and even
> reversed established diabetes," without bad side effects, the release
> said.
> > "The major discovery was that removal of sensory neurons
> expressing the receptor TRPV1 neurons in NOD (non-obese diabetic)
> mice prevented islet cell inflammation and diabetes in most animals,"
> Salter said.
> > Continue Article
> >
> > Gr8discjck <gr8discjck@> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-11/mgh-
> ndf112106.php
> > New data from NIH lab confirms protocol to reverse type 1
> diabetes in mice Data also support role for adult spleen cells in
> regeneration of beta cells New data published in the Nov. 24 issue
> of Science provide further support for a protocol to reverse type 1
> diabetes in mice and new evidence that adult precursor cells from the
> spleen can contribute to the regeneration of beta cells. In 2001 and
> 2003, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)
> demonstrated the efficacy of a protocol to reverse of type 1 diabetes
> in diabetic mice. Three studies from other institutions published in
> the March 24, 2006 issue of Science confirmed that the MGH-developed
> protocol can reverse the underlying disease but were inconclusive on
> the role of spleen cells in the recovery of insulin-producing
> pancreatic islets. The new data from a study performed at the
> National Institutes of Health (NIH), published as a technical
> comment, provides additional confirmation of the ability to
> > reverse type 1 diabetes and on the role of the spleen cells in
> islet regeneration.
> > "This data from the NIH and the earlier studies have added
> significantly to the understanding of how diabetes may be reversed,"
> says Denise Faustman, MD, PhD, director of the Immunobiology
> Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital, primary author of the
> 2001 and 2003 studies and co-corresponding author of the current
> report. "It is still early, but it appears that there are multiple
> potential sources for regenerating islets. As a research community we
> should pursue all avenues. We're excited to see what will happen in
> humans."
> > In the 2001 and 2003 studies, Faustman and colleagues treated end-
> stage nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice with Freund's complete adjuvant, a
> substance that suppresses the activity of the immune cells that
> destroy islets in type 1 diabetes. They also introduced donor spleen
> cells to retrain the immune system not to attack islets and found
> that the protocol not only halted the immune destruction caused by
> diabetes but also allowed the insulin-producing pancreatic islet
> cells to regenerate. Evidence indicated that the spleen cells were
> the source of at least some of the regenerated islet cell and
> hastened the restoration of blood sugar levels.
> > The direct contribution of spleen cells to islet recovery, first
> described in the 2003 study, is confirmed in the current work. NIH
> researchers used cell lineage tracking in the form of Y-chromosomal
> fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), in combination with
> insulin staining, to follow the fate of male spleen cells
> transplanted into female recipients. The female mice that received
> male donor cells consistently showed Y-chromosome-positive insulin-
> producing islet cells, indicating that the introduced spleen cells
> contribute to islet recovery. The current study also showed that the
> degree of spleen cell contribution is influenced by mouse age at the
> start of treatment. Spleen cells appear to contribute to islet
> recovery more in mice who are older and with more advanced diabetes
> compared with younger mice with less advanced diabetes, in which
> regeneration of remaining islets may be the dominant mechanism.
> > ###
> > The research to support the new data was conducted at the NIH
> laboratory of Eva Mezey, MD, PhD, co-corresponding author of the
> report. It was funded by the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation, National
> Institutes of Health/NIDCR intramural program, Canadian Institutes of
> Health Research and Canada Research Chair. The three studies
> published in March 2006 were supported by the Juvenile Diabetes
> Research Foundation. Faustman's research at Massachusetts General
> Hospital has been supported by The Iacocca Foundation, which is also
> supporting a clinical trial program based on her research.
> > Massachusetts General Hospital, established in 1811, is the
> original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The
> MGH conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the
> United States, with an annual research budget of nearly $500 million
> and major research centers in AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer,
> computational and integrative biology, cutaneous biology, human
> genetics, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative
> medicine, transplantation biology and photomedicine. MGH and Brigham
> and Women's Hospital are founding members of Partners HealthCare
> System, a Boston-based integrated health care delivery system.
> >
> >
> >
> > Scott Strumello <sstrumello@> wrote:
> > Similar to Joshua, I also questioned the use of BCG, but I
> did read
> > the references to why Dr. Faustman and company believe BCG has
> > potential to work (kindly re-posted by Stacy Lavery). I believe her
> > explanation is sufficient to warrant further investigation, as we
> may
> > now have more evidence to suggest appropriate dosages, how to
> > administer, and above all, how to measure whether and how it is
> > working, all things that the Israeli researchers did not have when
> > their initial studies were undertaken.
> >
> > Although I believe that many people may blindly believe that this
> > will be the definitive cure for their child, my suspicion is that
> > these trials may reveal conditions when BCG will work, and perhaps
> > when it will not, therefore adding to the knowledge on how to
> correct
> > autoimmune diseases, and under what circumstances -- all things
> that
> > we do not currently have, therefore I support further research.
> >
> > Having lived with type 1 diabetes for 30 years now, I have heard
> all
> > of these promises before, therefore I believe we should be more
> > skeptical, but I do believe this is research that needs to be
> > undertaken, the only difference is that I think we need to be
> > realistic about what is likely to emerge from this research. Like
> > Joshua, I would like to see more details from the research team so
> > that expectations can be set realistically.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Scott
> >
> > --- In nathanfaustmantrials@yahoogroups.com, Joshua Levy
> > <joshualevy@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > Thanks very much for posting this! I hope that someone in
> > Faustman's
> > > lab will either add a reference to the exact study that cured
> > someone
> > > of type-1 diabetes using BCG (even during the honeymoon phase).
> The
> > > other quote that I saw made it very clear that their person did
> not
> > > have type-1 diabetes at the time of treatment. (But maybe there
> is
> > a
> > > different person.) I suspect that the quote represents a
> > confabulation
> > > of different studies. But I would love to be proven wrong on that!
> > >
> > > In any case, I think that FAQ answer should be updated with an
> exact
> > > source (not the vague "in human studies").
> > >
> > > --- Stacy Lavery <stacy_lavery@> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi Joshua,
> > > >
> > > > I thought I remembered reading something to that effect also,
> and
> > I
> > > > think I've found the quote to which she was referring. It
> doesn't
> > > > mention which human study by name here, but in context, it
> sounds
> > > > like it was the Israeli study since it mentions two more studies
> > > > after it, which was the scenario described in the Scientific
> > American
> > > > article. She probably read both articles, and remembered both
> > items
> > > > together.
> > > >
> > > > It's under this link at Dr. Faustman's new website under FAQ:
> > > > http://www.faustmanlab.com/FAQ.html
> > > >
> > > > Here's the whole item, with the item of interest bolded:
> > > >
> > > > 7. What is BCG? Is it safe? Why use it?
> > > > Our human clinical trial program will begin with an evaluation
> of
> > > > bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), a generic drug with an
> impeccable
> > > > human safety profile that is currently approved for two
> > indications-
> > > > tuberculosis and cancer therapy. BCG has been administered to
> over
> > > > four billion people since coming to market over 80 years ago.
> > Similar
> > > > to the agent we used in mouse studies (CFA), BCG causes the
> body
> > to
> > > > make a natural substance called TNF that helps regulate the
> immune
> > > > system.
> > > >
> > > > There is ample data to support the use of BCG in the human
> > diabetes
> > > > trials. BCG was used many years ago in early-stage diabetic
> mice
> > and
> > > > prevented diabetes. Unfortunately, many compounds work in early-
> > stage
> > > > NOD mice, but do not work in late-stage diabetic mice or in
> humans
> > > > with advanced disease. BCG was also tried in the past in humans
> > with
> > > > new onset diabetes, prior to the knowledge of how BCG actually
> > works
> > > > in the body. In the human studies, one diabetic patient was
> cured
> > > > with a single dose of BCG, but two subsequent studies with a
> > single
> > > > dose of BCG showed no benefit.
> > > >
> > > > Compared to when many previous BCG trials were conducted 10
> year
> > ago,
> > > > the way BCG induces one's own TNF to change disease is now
> mapped
> > in
> > > > animal models and in some human disease. This allows for
> > thoughtful
> > > > translation of this intervention to a human trial. We think
> these
> > > > early trials of BCG in humans, although encouraging, could not
> be
> > > > advanced until we understood BCG's mechanism of action (what it
> > does)
> > > > and had a way to monitor the drug's effect in the blood. Think
> > about
> > > > this: If we did not know that insulin regulated blood sugars,
> and
> > if
> > > > we did not know how to measure blood sugar, how could we tell
> > whether
> > > > insulin actually worked to help diabetics? In many ways, early
> BCG
> > > > trials can be seen as similar to injecting insulin without
> knowing
> > > > what it really does or how to measure its effects. One of our
> > major
> > > > laboratory efforts is to create a method to rapidly and
> precisely
> > > > count the disease-causing cells in human blood and to use this
> > test
> > > > to evaluate whether BCG can
> > > > eliminate these cells, and at what dose.
> > > >
> > > > Only by conducting a clinical trial will we know if BCG will
> > work. We
> > > > chose to test BCG because the agent is readily available and it
> > works
> > > > in the human in a similar way (induction of TNF) as the agent we
> > > > successfully used in the mouse (CFA). In addition, it is
> > relatively
> > > > easy to track the killing of the population of autoreactive T
> > cells
> > > > targeted by BCG, and we believe that this population of cells
> may
> > be
> > > > the one responsible for the greatest amount of damage to the
> > islets.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks,
> > > > Stacy Lavery
> > > > Team Maryland Captain, Join Lee Now Campaign
> > > > Moderator, Nathan/Faustman Trials Yahoo Group
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message ----
> > > > From: joshualevy <joshualevy@>
> > > > To: nathanfaustmantrials@yahoogroups.com
> > > > Sent: Monday, November 20, 2006 7:44:20 PM
> > > > Subject: [nathanfaustmantrials] Re: Latest Newletter from the
> lab
> > > >
> > > > --- In nathanfaustmantrial s@yahoogroups. com, "rmccully2000"
> > > > <rmccully2000@ ...> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > I just read the lastest newsletter on Dr. Faustman's new
> > website...
> > > >
> > > > > http://www.faustman lab.com/News/ FaustmanUpdateFa ll06.pdf
> > > > >
> > > > > In the Scientic American article about Dr. Faustman, she
> > mentions
> > > > an
> > > > > Israeli study using BCG single dose at diagnosis as being
> > partially
> > > >
> > > > > successful. Again in the above newsletter, she mentions that
> one
> > > > human
> > > > > was cured using a single dose of BCG, although further
> studies
> > were
> > > > not
> > > > > as successful.
> > > >
> > > > I can not find any place where Dr Faustman said that any type-1
> > has
> > > > been cured using BCG. I looked in the newslatter, the SA
> article,
> > and
> > > > another recently published newspaper article. Can you be more
> > > > specific about where you saw this?
> > > >
> > > > I don't believe anyone has been cured using BCG. My doubts are
> two
> > > > fold: first, if even one person had actually been cured, every
> > > > researcher would be all over it. They would be trying slightly
> > higher
> > > > doses, slightly lower doses, all kind of varients. Can you
> imagine
> > > > the newspaper articles? None of this happened, so I don't think
> > the
> > > > cure happened, either. My second reason is this quote below:
> > > >
> > > > "Since 1997, researchers in Israel have been injecting BCG, the
> > > > compound Faustman uses, into a person who was expected to
> develop
> > > > diabetes. That patient has remained free of diabetes for seven
> > years,
> > > > said Naim Shehadeh, head of the pediatric diabetes clinic at the
> > > > Technion Israel Institute of Technology. But researchers have
> been
> > > > unable to gain additional funding for tests on more people."
> > > > Source: http://www.cureauto immunity. org/national% 20journal%
> > > > 201-21-05. htm
> > > > (about 60% down the page)
> > > >
> > > > Note that this person did not have diabetes.
> > > >
> > > > Joshua Levy
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > __________________________________________________________
> > ______________
> > > Sponsored Link
> > >
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> >
> >
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