First patient treated in a new phase of pioneering type 1 diabetes research
Early this month marked the start of an important new phase in the fight against type 1 diabetes. For the first time, a patient who was still able to produce some insulin of their own has been treated with a so‑called inverse vaccine: a therapy designed not to activate the immune system, but to calm it. The aim is clear and ambitious: to educate the immune response to protect the body’s own source of insulin.
This strategy was conceived and developed by Prof. Bart Roep and was clinically tested by Prof. Jaap Jan Zwaginga and Dr. Tanja Nikolic in the D‑Sense trial. An earlier phase demonstrated the unthinkable: it was possible to correct the immune system in people with type 1 diabetes who were no longer able to produce their own insulin.
A next, crucial step in the research has now been taken. Roep explains: “In D‑Sense II, we are investigating whether this treatment is safe and effective in people with preserved insulin production, with the aim of protecting this remaining insulin source through personalized precision medicine.”
The researchers were relieved. Zwaginga assured: “The injection of the therapeutic cell product was successful. We did not observe any immediate issues.”
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes develops when the body’s immune system becomes dysregulated and attacks the insulin‑producing beta cells in the pancreas. These cells are located in the islets of Langerhans and can become vulnerable under stress. The immune system may respond by targeting these stressed beta cells, resulting in the loss of the body’s ability to produce insulin.
As a consequence, people with type 1 diabetes depend on insulin injections to regulate their blood glucose levels. Until now, treatment has been limited to managing the consequences of the disease, rather than addressing its underlying cause.
Cure One: working towards a cure
Within the recently established Cure One Type 1 Diabetes Centre at Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), research is taking the next step. Here, approaches are being developed and tested that move beyond symptom management and are directed toward curing the disease.
Worldwide, an estimated nine million people live with type 1 diabetes. Behind that number are millions of lives shaped each day by measuring, injecting, and constant calculation. Cure One was founded on the conviction that this can—and must—change. Not someday, but as soon as possible.
Cure One is an initiative and collaborative partnership between Diabetes Research Foundation Netherlands (DON) and LUMC. Together, they are building a centre where fundamental research and clinical application are closely integrated.
This clinical trial is co-funded by the Helmsley Charitable Trust in New York.
