Adaptive Study of IL-2 Dose Frequency on Regulatory T Cells in Type 1 Diabetes

Summary

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the most common severe autoimmune disease worldwide and is caused by the body's immune destruction of its own insulin producing pancreatic beta cells leading to insulin deficiency and development of elevated blood sugars. Currently, medical management of T1D focuses on intensive insulin replacement therapy to limit complications (retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy); nevertheless clinical outcomes remain suboptimal. There are intensive efforts to design novel immunotherapies that can arrest the autoimmune process and thereby preserve residual insulin production leading to fewer complications and better clinical outcomes. Genetics are in part the cause of T1D and the majority of genes contributing to T1D produce proteins involved in immune regulation (called "tolerance"). A key player in immune tolerance is a molecule called interleukin-2 (IL-2) which enhances the ability of cells called T regulatory (Treg) cells to suppress the destruction the insulin producing beta cells. Aldesleukin is a human recombinant IL-2 product produced by recombinant DNA technology using a genetically engineered E. coli strain expressing an analogue of the human IL-2 gene. There is substantial data to suggest that ultra-low doses (ULD) of IL-2 (aldesleukin) can arrest the autoimmune mediated destruction of pancreatic beta cells by the induction of functional Treg cells. The former study "Adaptive study of IL-2 dose on regulatory T cells in type 1 diabetes" (DILT1D) (NCT 01827735) was a single dose mechanistic study designed to establish the doses of IL-2 (aldesleukin) required to induce a minimal Treg increase (0.1 fold from baseline) or to induce a slightly larger Treg increase (0.2 fold from baseline) (maximal increase). Following on from the DILT1D study, the goal of the DILfrequency study is to use an adaptive design to determine the optimal dose and frequency of ULD IL-2 (aldesleukin) to maximize Treg function by frequently injecting ultra-low doses of IL-2 (aldesleukin). The responsiveness of each T1D participant to a particular frequency of IL-2 (aldesleukin) administration informs the frequency of dosing given to the next patient. This strategy focuses on improving the function of regulatory T cells that are exquisitely sensitive to IL-2 (aldesleukin).

Timeline

Start

2014-10-03

Primary completion

2016-05-26

Completion

2016-05-26

Publications

• Background Waldron-Lynch F, Kareclas P, Irons K, Walker NM, Mander A, Wicker LS, Todd JA, Bond S. Rationale and study design of the Adaptive study of IL-2 dose on regulatory T cells in type 1 diabetes (DILT1D): a non-randomised, open label, adaptive dose finding trial. BMJ Open. 2014 Jun 4;4(6):e005559. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005559.
• Background Truman LA, Pekalski ML, Kareclas P, Evangelou M, Walker NM, Howlett J, Mander AP, Kennet J, Wicker LS, Bond S, Todd JA, Waldron-Lynch F. Protocol of the adaptive study of IL-2 dose frequency on regulatory T cells in type 1 diabetes (DILfrequency): a mechanistic, non-randomised, repeat dose, open-label, response-adaptive study. BMJ Open. 2015 Dec 8;5(12):e009799. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009799.
• Zhang JY, Whalley JP, Knight JC, Wicker LS, Todd JA, Ferreira RC. SARS-CoV-2 infection induces a long-lived pro-inflammatory transcriptional profile. Genome Med. 2023 Sep 12;15(1):69. doi: 10.1186/s13073-023-01227-x.
• Seelig E, Howlett J, Porter L, Truman L, Heywood J, Kennet J, Arbon EL, Anselmiova K, Walker NM, Atkar R, Pekalski ML, Rytina E, Evans M, Wicker LS, Todd JA, Mander AP, Bond S, Waldron-Lynch F. The DILfrequency study is an adaptive trial to identify optimal IL-2 dosing in patients with type 1 diabetes. JCI Insight. 2018 Oct 4;3(19):e99306. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.99306.

Drugs

Indications