

It leaves the rest of the immune system alone, though










Source: Stanford Medicine

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Not a cure....
By DrApop on 7/2/2013 11:22:31 AM , Rating: 3
I don't believe this is a "cure" in the traditional sense as in curing someone who already has the disease. A type I diabetic have lost all the beta cells which produce insulin as a result of the immune system attacking and killing the cells. I don't think this vaccine will result in the beta cells coming back/regenerating once they have been killed off.

What it can do, based on these initial studies, is block/prevent further deterioration/dead of beta cells in an individual in the early stages of the disease. This effectively will result in someone not becoming a type I diabetic by protecting the beta cells from being attacked by the immune system.

And if used as a general vaccine for the population (like the polio, chicken pox, MMR type vaccines) it could ultimately prevent formation of the disease in the population....thus curing/preventing the disease in the population.

