The mechanism behind a potential new therapy for type 1 diabetes has been confirmed by staff from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, USA.

Web resource Eurekalert notes that a team found that blocking a metabolic pathway regulating the immune system specifically eliminated immune cells which react against a patient's own tissues.

The team previously discovered a technique which reversed diabetes in trials on mice.

The researchers found that triggering the expression of immune system modulator tumour necrosis factor led to the death of T cells responsible for the destruction of insulin producing pancreatic islets.

After the treatment, the mice were able to regenerate healthy islet cells which produced regular levels of insulin.

Due to appear in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the current research is the first demonstration of this technique in human cells.

Commenting on the study, Dr Denise Faustman, director of the MGH immunobiology laboratory, said: "Our studies in mice showed that we could selectively kill the defective autoimmune cells that were destroying insulin-producing islets. These results show that the same selective destruction can occur in humans cells."

Login and visit the Diabetes Knowledge Centre

• Coactivator proven essential to diabetes and Von Gierke's treatment 28/11/08
• Aspirin does not seem to reduce CV events in diabetics, study suggests 10/11/08
• Study links behaviour in men with diabetes risk 06/11/08
• New study highlights the rising cost of diabetes treatment 28/10/08
• Concerns over TB link with diabetes 15/10/08