Vaccine can prevent, reverse diabetes

[Guest guest]

Vaccine can prevent, reverse diabetes

PITTSBURGH (UPI) -- U.S. medical researchers say they've developed a vaccine

that might be able to prevent and even reverse development of type 1

diabetes.

The scientists at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the Baxter

Healthcare Corp. said microspheres carrying targeted nucleic acid molecules

fabricated in laboratories have been shown to prevent and even reverse

new-onset cases of type 1 diabetes in animal models.

In research conducted at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, the

scientists injected the microspheres under the skin near the pancreas of mice

with

autoimmune diabetes. The microspheres were then captured by white blood cells

known as dendritic cells that released the nucleic acid molecules within the

dendritic cells, the researchers said.

The released molecules reprogrammed the cells, and then migrated to the

pancreas. There, they turned off the immune system attack on insulin-producing

beta cells. Within weeks, the scientists said, diabetic mice were producing

insulin again with reduced blood glucose levels.

The study is reported in the June issue of the journal Diabetes.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

**************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch " Cooking with

Tyler Florence " on AOL Food.

(http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4 & ?NCID=aolfod00030000000002)