OK, the post’s headline may be a bit sensational, but the idea for just such a Vaccine received a boost recently when collaborating researchers published results from two studies in the leading journal Diabetes. Their findings, as discussed in Science Daily, lend real credence to the possibility of developing a diabetes prevention vaccine in the foreseeable future.

It has been known for some time that certain viruses can lead to diabetes in animals. These researchers confirmed that members of a particular virus group, group B Coxsackieviruses, are associated with a risk of developing type 1 diabetes in humans.

This is significant because illnesses from group B coxsackieviruses are fairly common, especially in children and infants. Most often the illnesses caused by any of the six types of group B coxsackieviruses are not severe. They cause gastrointestinal problems, fever, headache, sore throat, and chest or muscle pain. Sometimes they can lead to more severe illness, though, including inflammation of the heart or the tissue around the heart and meningitis, an inflammation of the tissues around the brain. Infection can sometimes even be fatal, but most of the time it is one of those non-specific illnesses that you suffer through and get over.

However, there may be a lasting effect for some people, as this research helps define. It appears that these viruses can sometimes spread to the pancreas and damage certain cells there that produce insulin. (You know insulin…the stuff that helps keep our blood sugar controlled. Without it, or without enough of it, blood sugar goes haywire. That’s sort of the basics of type 1 diabetes.)

Since there are only six types of group B coxsackieviruses, it is conceivable that a vaccine could be invented which would help prevent such attacks on the pancreas. There is sufficient history with success against a similar group of viruses, the polioviruses (that cause polio.) Polioviruses are part of a bigger group of viruses, called the enteroviruses. The coxsackieviruses are also a part of this bigger group, the enteroviruses. With the large success we’ve had decreasing – and almost eliminating – polio, it’s not too big a stretch to think that a successful vaccine for group B coxsackieviruses might deliver a similar one-two punch against type 1 diabetes.

Soooo…maybe that headline isn’t overly sensational after all!
 

Dr. Gregg
Posted – October 27, 2013