The Use of Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD) and Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) in the Treatment of Type I Diabetes

Summary

Type I Diabetes is an auto immune disease in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Therefore, children affected by this condition present with high blood sugars. This condition affects 1:400/500 persons worldwide.Type I Diabetes, previously known as Juvenile Diabetes,usually strikes in childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood, but lasts for a lifetime. To date, there has been no treatments that can arrest, or reverse the ongoing beta cell destruction. We hypothesize that GABA, a naturally occurring substance, has the potential to reduce the inflammation and protect the pancreatic beta cells from autoimmune destruction. GAD-alum may contribute to the preservation of residual insulin secretion in patients with recent onset, Type I Diabetes.

Timeline

Start

2015-01

Primary completion

2021-10-15

Completion

2022-04-15

Publications

• Background Ludvigsson J, Faresjo M, Hjorth M, Axelsson S, Cheramy M, Pihl M, Vaarala O, Forsander G, Ivarsson S, Johansson C, Lindh A, Nilsson NO, Aman J, Ortqvist E, Zerhouni P, Casas R. GAD treatment and insulin secretion in recent-onset type 1 diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2008 Oct 30;359(18):1909-20. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa0804328. Epub 2008 Oct 8.
• Background Soltani N, Qiu H, Aleksic M, Glinka Y, Zhao F, Liu R, Li Y, Zhang N, Chakrabarti R, Ng T, Jin T, Zhang H, Lu WY, Feng ZP, Prud'homme GJ, Wang Q. GABA exerts protective and regenerative effects on islet beta cells and reverses diabetes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Jul 12;108(28):11692-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1102715108. Epub 2011 Jun 27.
• Heath KE, Feduska JM, Taylor JP, Houp JA, Botta D, Lund FE, Mick GJ, McGwin G Jr, McCormick KL, Tse HM. GABA and Combined GABA with GAD65-Alum Treatment Alters Th1 Cytokine Responses of PBMCs from Children with Recent-Onset Type 1 Diabetes. Biomedicines. 2023 Jul 10;11(7):1948. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11071948.
• Freese J, Al-Rawi R, Choat H, Martin A, Lunsford A, Tse H, Mick G, McCormick K. Proinsulin to C-Peptide Ratio in the First Year After Diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Oct 21;106(11):e4318-e4326. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgab463.

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