First UK Adult To Receive Treatment For Type 1 Diabetes Drug Undergoing Trials

Type 1 diabetes is a condition that cannot be treated clinically and people with diabetes receive lifelong treatment to manage symptoms and keep their blood sugar under control. However, with the joint efforts of researchers all over the world and countless studies, trials for a new drug have begun in the UK. Right now, about 4.6 million people in the UK have diabetes, and over 270,000 of them have Type 1. Since there isn't a cure for Type 1 diabetes yet, most people need to take insulin every day to keep their blood sugar levels normal and avoid serious health problems. As you may know, insulin is a hormone responsible for turning food into energy by essentially breaking down the sugar to make it glucose. This new drug, Teplizumab, can change the way we deal with type 1 diabetes. Instead of taking long-term treatment measures, the success of this trial could mean potentially finding a cure in the future. This treatment is happening at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and it's getting help from a group called the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). This is a big step forward because it might help people put off getting full-blown Type 1 diabetes.Also Read: 6 Personality Traits That Make Someone Cool – Are They Born With It or Can You Learn It? Hannah Robinson: The First Adult Patient in the UK Hannah Robinson, who is a dentist and a mom of two from Devon, is the first adult in the UK to try this new treatment. She found out during her pregnancy that she was starting to develop Type 1 diabetes. Familiar with the challenges of living with diabetes, Hannah hopes that taking this drug could mean she won't need to take daily insulin shots for up to three years longer than she would have otherwise. This would give her more freedom and control over her health. Hannah, who is 36, said: "I've learned a lot about Type 1 diabetes since I was diagnosed and what it means for my future. For me, this new drug gives me more freedom and a chance to focus on my health before I have to change my life and manage things as someone who needs daily insulin. It's not just about what I eat or checking my sugar; it's also about feeling more in control and not letting my condition define me. This treatment could even lead to a cure for Type 1 diabetes, which is amazing. I feel very lucky to be part of this." What is Type 1 Diabetes and How Teplizumab Helps With Type 1 diabetes, your body's immune system attacks and destroys special cells in your pancreas called beta cells. These beta cells are very important because they make insulin, which helps control your blood sugar. If your blood sugar is too high or too low, it can cause serious health problems.Also Read: Why Does Your BBL Smell? Doctor Explains 4 Reasons That Could Cause ItThe new drug, Teplizumab, works by teaching your immune system to stop attacking these beta cells. By doing this, it can delay you needing insulin by up to three years. But it's very important that the drug is given very early on, before the disease has gotten too far along. Teplizumab is already approved in the USA. Hannah is the first adult in the UK to get this treatment, though a small number of children and young people here have already received it in its early stages. Early Intervention is Key Experts are saying that Teplizumab works best when it's given very early on, even before someone officially gets diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes based on high blood sugar. Dr. Nick Thomas, a top diabetes specialist at the University of Exeter, explained that this new treatment is a huge step forward. It allows doctors to step in early and change what the immune system is doing. The goal is to slow down how quickly people will need to start taking insulin. The research happening at the Royal Devon and the University of Exeter are using things like genetics and other tests to find people who are at a high risk of getting Type 1 diabetes. This smart approach means that more people could potentially get the drug early and delay the start of the disease. Insulin Free Future for Type-1 Diabetes Patients Researchers involved in the study explain that trials like these can lead to many patients having some extra insulin free years. Their ultimate goal is a future where these types of immune-system treatments become the first line of defense against Type 1 diabetes, tackling the root cause of the problem. Hopefully, in the future, early treatment could even stop some people from ever needing insulin at all.

First UK Adult To Receive Treatment For Type 1 Diabetes Drug Undergoing Trials

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