An American study observed that the drug DFMO, already indicated for other pathologies, stabilizes insulin levels in patients with type 1 diabetes.
- The treatment of type 1 diabetes is essentially based on daily insulin intake.
- According to an American study, the drug α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) could be an alternative to insulin.
- The drug DFMO has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of sleeping sickness.
The management of type 1 diabetes relies on the supply of insulin, which is no longer produced by the pancreas in sufficient quantities. The patient must therefore take this daily treatment via injections. A recent study, published in the journal cell, suggested that α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) treatment, taken orally, could provide an alternative to insulin.
DFMO would preserve beta cells in type 1 diabetic patients
Approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 1990, DFMO is prescribed in particular to treat sleeping sickness. In 2010, Raghu Mirmira, the study’s corresponding author and, at the time, a researcher at Indiana University, discovered that suppressing the DFMO-altered metabolic pathway protected beta cells from environmental factors. For the scientist, this discovery made it possible to consider the possibility of preserving or even restoring these vital cells in patients with type 1 diabetes.
To confirm these initial observations, researchers from the University of Chicago and Indiana University (United States) teamed up and observed the effects of the drug DFMO on zebrafish and mice. Linda DiMeglio, lead author of the study, a pediatric endocrinologist and professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, then began a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the drug in patients with type 1 diabetes.
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Results: The drug would be safe for patients with type 1 diabetes and would keep insulin levels stable by protecting beta cells. “When a drug has already been approved for other indications, the time to approval can be years instead of decades, once there is strong clinical evidence of safety and suitability. product effectiveness”explained Raghu Mirmir, now a professor of medicine and endocrinologist at the University of Chicago.
The use of a new formulation of DFMO in pill form would therefore make it possible to simplify the treatment of type 1 diabetes by avoiding daily insulin injections.
