In two weeks, Bernard Farrell will be riding in the Bike the Miles annual fundraiser to support Dr. Faustman's research to cure Type 1 diabetes. His participation is especially intrinsic because it is one day away from his 35th anniversary of becoming a Type 1 diabetic.

Bernard plans to raise $10,000 for Dr. Faustman's research. Last year he raised $7,500. The entire event raised a whopping $301,000! All of this funding is going toward the human trials to cure Type 1 diabetes. After discovering that the insulin-producing islet cells of the pancreas are capable of regeneration, Dr. Faustman now needs to test her treatment, already known to be safe in humans, to see if the effects are as positive as they were in the animal model.

It goes without say that this is terribly important for Bernard as much as it is for every man, woman and child touched by Type 1 diabetes. Bike the Miles is an annual event that was started by Susan Root and Jacqueline Fusco in 2004. Both, Susan and Jacqueline, have children who are Type 1 diabetics. Please visit Bernard's site to support his ride and the drive to cure Type 1 diabetes!

The scientific community has been in a heated debate about xenotransplants (transplanting pig islets into humans). Although the procedures are showing to be effective - is the insulin secretion entirely pig? Some experts surmise that after the transplants, diabetic patients are actually able to produce some insulin on their own, after all.

The latest press release from Tissera, Inc (an Israeli-based company) made a statement that raises my hopes. It was, "By the fourth month after transplantation, the insulin dose needed to maintain near-normal blood sugar levels decreased by more than 90% in comparison with the insulin dose needed before transplantation, meaning that endogenous insulin production was predominantly responsible for blood sugar control."

The question of the origin of endogenous insulin was addressed by measurement of blood C-peptide. C-peptide splits from insulin and indicates the level of insulin secretion from the patient. C-peptide levels were measured both at baseline and in response to a sugar load, which brings about a rise in blood C-peptide. The measured C-peptide was shown to be predominantly of pig origin. So herein lies my question: is predominantly more than 50%? A type 1 diabetic has undetectable levels of C-peptide. Period. After the xenotransplant the C-peptide level is all of a sudden detectable? Could these islet transplants assist in regenerating the diabetics' own islets?

Dr. Faustman's lab is currently collecting blood samples from individuals with established Type 1 diabetes. These samples are being used to quantify the number of autoreactive T-cells and develop the adequate dosage for Phase 1 of human trials to cure Type 1 diabetes.

The research has been presented and the NIH confirmed it. By reeducating the confused T-cells and instructing them not to attack healthy islets, an apparent cure of established type 1 diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice is possible. Now, Dr. Faustman is collecting human samples to bestow the same cure for diabetes in humans.

If you wish to be a part of this revolutionary event for curing Type 1 diabetes, please contact the Clinical Coordinator or call Dr. Faustman's lab at (617) 726-4084. Each participant is asked to bring a control person along with them - an unrelated person without Type 1 diabetes or another autoimmune disease. Diabetic or not - you can be a part of history in curing Type 1 diabetes!

Suffering succotash - do you believe the nerve of these scientists professing the antithesis of insulin-dependent diabetes!! Scientist have proven that supplementation of Gymnema sylvestre appears to enhance endogenous insulin production by regeneration of the residual beta cells in insulin-dependent diabetes. Wouldn't this study imply that insulin-dependent diabetes is curable??

GS4, a water-soluble extract of the leaves of Gymnema sylvestre, was given to 27 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes on insulin therapy. They received 400 mg per day. Their insulin requirements came down together, along with their fasting blood glucose, HbA1c and glycosylated plasma protein levels. Patients in the study receiving insulin therapy only (without Gymnema sylvestre supplementation) showed no significant reduction in serum lipids, HbA1c or glycosylated plasma proteins when followed up after 10-12 months.

There you have it, folks. A study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacologyin October 1990 says - there are possible ways to regenerate beta cells in insulin-dependent diabetics, previously believed to be nonexistent and gone forever. Never say never, right Dr. Faustman?

The Spring Point Project is a nonprofit organization created to increase the availability of islet tissue for diabetes care by cultivating medical-grade pigs for islet xenotransplantation.

Dr. Bernhard Hering is the scientific director of the Diabetes Institute for Immunology & Transplantation at the University of Minnesota. He believes the shortage of human donor organs greatly limits the applicability of islet transplants. Of course he does. In 2004, President Bush directed the Diabetes Research Work Group, created by Congress, to develop a comprehensive plan for diabetes research. One of the outgrowths has been the establishment of the NIH (National Institute of Health) Clinical Islet Transplant Consortium. Spring Point Project's consultant Dr. Bernhard Hering, M.D., is one of only five researchers worldwide appointed to serve on it. Hold the cornmeal, Wilbur. Who else has a seat in the NIH panel?These medical-grade pig islets require immunosuppression drugs to sustain the life of the islets without another autoimmune attack taking place. A statement from the faq page on The Spring Point Project site states, "Pig islet graft survival was made possible with a novel immunosuppressive protocol." Okay. Minor detail but very important when you weigh your options.

The Spring Point Project says human trials are slated to begin in 2008. Funny-- that is the same time Massachusetts General Hospital's human trials for Dr. Denise Faustman's proposed cure for type 1 diabetes is set to begin. Dr. Faustman's cure does not require any immunosuppression drugs. In my book - any cure that requires a continuum of drugs is not a cure, at all.

A Harvard Medical School scientist's experiments with fish discarded along the coast near Boston have led to a new class of diabetes drugs. The latest, from Novartis, may get U.S. approval this week.

In the late 1970s, Habener, a doctor specializing in diabetes care, began buying discarded fish to learn about the ways animals controlled blood sugar. By 1987 Habener discovered a protein in the pancreas of anglerfish that tells the pancreas to produce insulin. He called it glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1. In 1995, researchers uncovered another use for Habener's discovery to treat diabetes. The scientists found an enzyme that digests GLP. By blocking the enzyme, they could increase the body's reserves of GLP, thereby raising insulin levels. Twenty years later, we will soon have the pleasure of meeting Novartis' concept for this chronology of discoveries in the form of liraglutide.

In clinical trials, patients taking liraglutide attained normal blood sugars without the common side effect of weight gain. In fact, liraglutide was more likely to make the patients slightly leaner. Depending on dosage and length of treatment, it may help patients to lose weight. The drug does not cause a change in appetite. Furthermore, none of the liraglutide patients experienced episodes of low blood sugar levels throughout the trials.

I'm no fisherman, but if all the seagulls of Big Pharma are swarming overhead - there's bound to be a school of fish below. However, this school is quite competitive. At last count, the five largest diabetic drug makers are using Habener's findings to create new medicines.

Lately a lot of attention has been focused on the Massachusetts General Hospital, one of the largest teaching hospitals of Harvard Medical School. The MGH conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the United States, with an annual research budget of nearly $463 million. With deep pockets and medical moxie like that-would you expect the potential cure for type 1 diabetes to come from anywhere else?

In 1999, a MGH research study identified a gene malfunction that plays a pivotal role in the development of type 1 diabetes. The study showed that a gene required to help teach the immune system to recognize so-called "self" proteins is somehow inactivated, causing type 1 diabetes. Sounds like tricky stuff, but it prefaced a strong foundation for the prototype to cure type 1 diabetes. In 2001 MGH researchers found that by retraining the animal's immune system not to attack insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells, it would correct the autoimmune dysfunction causing type 1 diabetes. This research, in concert with a discovery made in 2003, whereby spleen cells appear to develop into insulin-producing cells, provided a revolutionary approach to curing type 1 diabetes. The National Institute of Health has recently confirmed this as a potential cure for type 1 diabetes.

Think of the illustrious contributions Harvard has bestowed on modern society in the form of witty-banter. The Harvard Lampoon, the Simpsons, and of course -- Conan O'Brien. It's only fitting that the cure for type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases would come from the motherland of such mental marvels.

Recently published data provides 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. The new data from a study performed at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), provides additional confirmation of the ability to reverse type 1 diabetes and on the role of the spleen cells in islet regeneration.

In the study, a substance that suppresses the activity of the killer T cells that destroy islets in type 1 diabetes, was given to non-obese diabetic mice. They also introduced donor spleen cells to retrain the immune system not to attack islets. The results of this two-step process not only halted the immune destruction caused by diabetes but also allowed the insulin-producing pancreatic islet cells to regenerate. The results of this study indicate almost a 100% reversal of diabetes in mice that also had another autoimmune disease affecting the moisture-producing glands called Sjogren's syndrome. The study also demonstrates the spleen's contribution to regeneration of not only the pancreas but also the salivary glands. The data shows that the later the stage of diabetes when the treatment is given, the greater chance of spleen cells found to play a role in regeneration of islets.

"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, "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."

When Dr. Denise Faustman revealed her ground-breaking discovery 5 years ago, most of the biomedical world turned their noses up. Dr. Faustman said she had cured diabetic mice by getting them to regrow their insulin-producing cells. Today Faustman dismisses the initial pessimism by looking at the bright-side "a lot of groups are working on this now," she says. "If imitation is the best form of flattery, then I'm flattered."

To correct the autoimmune attack, Faustman injected mice with a cocktail that made their bodies churn out a signaling chemical called TNF-alpha. This compound destroyed the defective T-cells that mistakenly targeted islets. When a surgeon implanted islets on the kidneys of each mouse, the transplants could take root, make insulin and restore normal blood sugar control. To eliminate the problem of the bad T-cells returning, Faustman borrowed an idea from the transplant specialists, who have found that liver or spleen cells can "reeducate" a recipient's immune system to treat the new cells as welcomed guests.

Patience is a virtue and Dr. Faustman deserves the crown. Until recently, it was taken for granted that once the beta cells are lost, they can never grow back. This past March, three separate scientific studies confirmed that they had repeated Faustman's protocols and reproduced her most important result: it is possible to stop the mistaken T-cell attack and when you do, the animals recover normal function. "The results are fantastic, coming from these groups, which were each paid $1 million to spend three years showing that I was wrong," she remarks. "I mean, they were all funded by the JDRF." Dr. Faustman, when you're right - you're right. And for the salvation of every person living with an autoimmune disease: you're right!

The main difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes is perhaps a little murky to the average American. However, when it comes to sports - it is safe to say that most of us have one or two we know like the back of our hand. So in an effort to enlighten myself in the technicalities of different sports, and to share my understanding of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, let's see if we can parallel sports to the distinctions in type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

First off, let's establish the basic differences in each type. A type 1 diabetic cannot adequately deliver insulin to the targeted cells. That is not to say type 1s cannot or do not still produce insulin but type 1 diabetics have a faulty killer T cell in their immune system that mistakes an insulin producing cell as a foreign body. A type 2 diabetic experiences insulin resistance at the targeted cell. This is a condition in which fat, muscle, and liver cells do not use insulin properly. Both conditions result in persistent high blood sugar levels, thus defining diabetes.

Now for the nitty gritty of my comparison... Remember, this is my attempt to learn something about your interests since you allow me to share mine with you. Please, don't hesitate to correct me. I'm sure I'll miss the mark on a few, but nevertheless it has been a fun exercise (yes, pun intended). Football: (type 1) Defensive holding or illegal use of hands, (type 2) Delay of game. Baseball: (type 1) Triple play (type 2) Ground Rule Double. Hockey: (type 1) Freezing the puck (type 2) Clearing the puck. Soccer: (type 1) Red Card (type 2) Obstruction.