It sounds just too good to be true: preventing or delaying the onset of Type 1 diabetes through a simple daily insulin regimen. Yet a number of health experts believe that giving insulin daily to those at risk of developing Type 1 diabetes, or those newly-diagnosed with the disease, could do just that. You see, it seems there's evidence that taking an oral dose of insulin on a regular basis brings about an increased tolerance for the substance or a "quieting of the immune system." And that could prevent diabetes or at least delay it for a few years.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) wants to find out what's what. It was announced yesterday that the NIH will fund a world-wide network of research into the issue. The research program will go by the name of Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet and will involve the participation of more than one hundred medical centers both here in the US and in Canada, Australia, and in parts of Europe. Individuals at risk for Type 1 diabetes - who can be identified through a simple blood test which identifies the presence of a certain type of autoantibodies - are currently being enrolled for the study. (I have no idea if they're looking for volunteers in the US, by the way - sorry.)

Talk about your big science breakthrough, huh? I mean, if insulin really can be used as a preventative...well, that would be fabulous in and of itself. But you would also have the added bonus that it could be achieved simply, with no side-effects (because insulin is quickly broken down by the digestive system), and it would be affordable. That last one's important. How refreshing it would be to have a big medical breakthrough associated with humble old insulin instead of some ultra-expensive wonder drug!