SMART
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Treg-sparing co-stimulation blockade: testing a novel method for monitoring a immunosuppression strategy in people with Type 1 diabetes
IRAS ID
336032
Contact name
Danijela Tatovic
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 31 days
Research summary
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is caused by autoimmunity when the body’s own white blood cells damage the insulin producing cells (beta-cells). Researchers are trying to develop treatments (immunotherapies) that can stop autoimmunity by switching off these damaging white cells that work in silence until it is too late to intervene. We currently have no way of measuring the activity of the autoimmune process in T1D, so we have to design research studies by measuring individual’s own insulin production. These effects change slowly requiring long studies that are often found to be unsuccessful after lots of money and time had been spent. We want to develop a way to identify potentially effective drugs based on their effect on the autoimmunity in smaller and quicker studies.
This study aims to establish robust and quick method to test the impact of immunotherapies on the autoimmune process.
We will challenge immunity with two drugs: Abatacept and Interleukin-2 (IL-2). Both drugs are licensed for use in other diseases and have been used in T1D research. They have very good safety profile, but when used separately, they showed modest effect on preserving insulin-producing cells. We think that combination will work better because Abatacept will deal with “bad” cells (drivers of the autoimmunity) whilst IL-2 will protect “good” cells (controllers of autoimmunity).
We will use state of the art cell-tracking techniques: “heavy water” labelling and cytometry - method to isolate and analyse individual cells and mathematical modelling of trajectories of immune cells. We will look in blood and lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are little glands throughout the body that are full of white blood cells that are relevant for the autoimmune process.
Once proven, our method can be used to triage promising drugs before proceeding with the assessment of their metabolic effect in a large clinical trials.REC name
Wales REC 1
REC reference
24/WA/0283
Date of REC Opinion
28 Oct 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion