A drug used to treat psoriasis, Ustekinumab, has shown effectiveness in treating early-stage type-1 diabetes in children and adolescents, according to a new clinical trial led by Cardiff University. This study demonstrates that Ustekinumab, an immunotherapy used since 2009, can help preserve the body’s ability to produce insulin, moving closer to managing type-1 diabetes without insulin injections.
The trial, conducted by Cardiff University, Kings College London, Swansea University, and the University of Calgary, identified specific immune cells (Th17 cells) responsible for type-1 diabetes. The findings, published in *Nature Medicine* on July 30, 2024, underline the potential of immunotherapies in protecting insulin-producing cells.
In the trial, 72 adolescents aged 12 to 18 with recent-onset type-1 diabetes received Ustekinumab. The results showed that the drug could preserve vital insulin-producing cells and identified the immune cells causing this destruction, enabling targeted therapies with minimal side effects.
Professor Tim Tree of King’s College London explained that Ustekinumab targets a small group of immune cells called Th17.1 cells, which play a crucial role in destroying insulin-producing cells. This precision targeting means Ustekinumab has fewer side effects, impacting only a tiny fraction of the immune system.
The study demonstrated that after 12 months of Ustekinumab treatment, C-peptide levels, indicating insulin production, were 49% higher. This provides the first clinical trial-based evidence of Th17 cells’ role in type-1 diabetes.
While the trial’s results are promising, further clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings and determine which patients would benefit most from Ustekinumab. Researchers are optimistic that combining early screening with Ustekinumab treatment could prevent the need for insulin injections in children at risk of developing type-1 diabetes.
