Melbourne endocrinologist Dr Spiros Fourlanos is looking at a world first trial that uses a nasal insulin therapy to prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes.

The therapy, initially developed by Professor Len Harrison of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, looks at relatives of type 1 diabetes who may be genetically predisposed to diabetes and aims to prevent the development of this disease. The therapy is not a cure for people who are already diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Dr Fourlanos told Neos Kosmos that the study is “focusing on people who are first or second degree relatives of people with type 1 diabetes”.

He said the study is focused on siblings or children of type 1 diabetes sufferers as they have a higher genetic predisposition to developing the disease. “These individuals can be screened through a simple blood test to identify markers of an immune reaction against the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. “The chances of [the relative] being positive on the blood test for these markers is approximately three per cent, if they come up positive on the blood test then they are potentially eligible for participation in this nasal insulin immune therapy.”

When Professor Harrison discovered this therapy was safe and could potentially prevent children from developing diabetes, he began a two-year trial with incredibly promising results. “I was doing a PhD with Professor Harrison and one of the projects I did was to set up this trial looking at this immune type therapy that in some ways works a bit like a vaccine,” said Dr Fourlanos. The trial saw 52 people over two years receive nasal insulin for ten days and then on weekends for 12 consecutive months to assess their immune responses. The study was done on adults who had established type 1 or autoimmune diabetes but had not progressed to needing insulin injections yet.

“One of our aims was to show whether we could protect pancreatic function. We also looked at the immune response to this treatment and basically found that for the first time in humans we were able to suppress or switch off the immune response against insulin. “This now paves the way for a much bigger study which is occurring across Australia, New Zealand and also Germany, using this exact same treatment to try and prevent people who are at high risk for developing type 1 diabetes and getting the condition.” Both in Australia and globally, type 1 and type 2 diabetes are both on the rise. This is especially so within the Greek community. “There is no doubt that diabetes occurs in higher frequency in certain ethnic populations, including Mediterranean’s,” Dr Fourlanos said. “But one factor we have to remember is that type 1 diabetes occurs at any age whereas type 2 diabetes tends to occur in adults and has a close relationship to a suboptimal lifestyle.

Factors such as refined sugar, excess weight, reduced exercise all can contribute to the onset of type 2 diabetes. “The development of type 1 diabetes can be predicted therefore identification of people at risk of type 1 diabetes paves the way for immune therapies to try and prevent type 1 diabetes.

“This safe immune therapy seems to be looking promising because we’ve managed to change or suppress the immune response to insulin which is really an important step to actually preventing the attack on insulin producing cells in the pancreas.” The treatment is being investigated further and it’s conceivable that if the study proves to be successful that this therapy to prevent type 1 diabetes may be available in the next five years. For more information on this study or if you would like to be involved in the trail, visit www.stopdiabetes.com.au and register your interest.