CAN INSULIN THERAPY DELAY OR PREVENT INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS

Although the precise events preceding insulin-dependent diabetes melli tus (IDDM, type 1 diabetes) have not yet been elucidated, it is known that IDDM results from a slow, progressive, immune process directed ag ainst pancreatic islet beta cells. Disrupting this autoimmune process has been the focus of research aimed at preventing or slowing the dise ase progression. Technologic advances in predicting the onset and like lihood of developing IDDM have made it possible to study the effects o f early immune intervention. The National Institutes of Health recentl y launched a large-scale, multicenter trial to evaluate the effectiven ess of insulin as preventive therapy. Although many different immunosu ppressive and immunomodulating agents have been investigated, the use of insulin as a prophylactic agent is a fairly recent concept. Several methods have been used to halt the autoimmune destruction of the panc reas, with animal and human studies serving as the basis for insulin i n preventing IDDM.