New Therapies for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: An Educational Article an Expert Opinion

Diabetes mellitus type 1 is a lifelong condition resulting from failure of the production of insulin because of loss of pancreatic islet beta-cells because of autoimmune damage. Patients with this diabetes type 1 need lifelong treatment with insulin to remain alive. Demands for changing this dire situation of lifelong dependence on insulin have been increasing. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of diabetes type 1 cure research progress. Conclusion and expert opinion: Emphasis has been increasingly made that treatment of diabetes type 1 with immunotherapeutic agents such as rituximab can slow the decline in C-peptide, but do not affect the underlying pathophysiology of the condition. Experimental studies have suggested the use of multi-factorial therapies that aim at increasing pancreatic islet beta-cells islets mass and proliferation through stimulating neogenesis, decreasing cell apoptosis and enhancing cell regeneration. The current evidence-based expert opinion suggests that the use of multi-factorial safe therapies including sitagliptin, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), vitamin D3, and lansoprazole in patients with recent development of diabetes type 1 can improve pancreatic function and reduce insulin requirement and can possibly lead to partial remission. Verapamil can be safely used for the same purpose in patients with high blood pressure.