Could Type 2 Diabetes Be an Auto Immune Disease

Tue, 19 Apr 2011
Type 2 diabetes could be about to be categorised as an autoimmune disease as opposed to a metabolic disorder .

These findings could lead to new diabetes treatments which target the immune system rather than attempting to control blood sugar .

The researchers attempted to demonstrate that an antibody known as anti-CD20, which targets and destroys mature B cells in the immune system, prevented type 2 diabetes developing in lab mice susceptible to developing the disease, and brought their blood sugar levels back to normal.

Anti-CD20 is already available in America under the trade names Rituxan and MabThera. It is already an approved treatment for certain autoimmune diseases as well as blood cancers, however, further research is necessary to consider if will work to prevent diabetes in humans.

The researchers consider that insulin resistance, the main feature of type 2 diabetes is due to the result of B cells and other immune cells attacking the body's own tissues.

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