The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Dundee researchers launch groundbreaking diabetes trial for families
The trial aims to develop treatment to prevent children from developing the incurable disease
A ground-breaking trial to develop a cheap treatment for preventing diabetes has been launched in Dundee.
Researchers are looking for children from across Scotland to take part in the study, which will examine the effect of administering metformin – the world’s most commonly prescribed diabetes medicine – on young people at risk of the disease.
A total of 6,400 families with children aged 5 to 16, who have a sibling or parent with type 1 diabetes, will initially be invited for a blood test to establish whether they are at high risk of developing the condition. If so, they will be invited to take part.
The autoimmune diabetes Accelerator Prevention Trial (adAPT) is led by Professor Terence Wilkin, of the University of Exeter Medical School, with support from colleagues at Dundee University and NHS Tayside.
Professor Wilkin said: “For decades it has been believed that diabetes is caused by a faulty immune system, which attacks beta cells in the pancreas – these are cells that make insulin.
“The accelerator hypothesis is based on the theory that the immune system isn’t faulty, but that the beta cells are stressed by the modern living environment, which then provokes the immune system.
“The environmental factors that could be to blame include diet, food additives, lack of vitamin D, micro particles in the environment and many others – but we don’t know for sure.
“We want to protect the beta cells using metformin, to test whether this can stop the immune system from destroying them.”
Childhood diabetes is five times more common now than 40 years ago.
There is currently no way of preventing the condition in children and no cure, meaning patients face strict dietary controls and multiple daily injections of insulin for life.
During the trial, children will receive metformin or placebo initially for four months and will be tested three times to assess how their metabolism and immune system respond, before moving on to the next stage of the ground-breaking trial.
We want to protect the beta cells... PROFESSOR TERENCE WILKIN