NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An agent that inhibits macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) prevents beta cell destruction in murine models of type 1 diabetes mellitus, according to a presentation at the American Chemical Society’s annual meeting in Anaheim, California.
The pro-inflammatory cytokine MIF is associated with autoimmune diseases and with septic shock, lead investigator Dr. Yousef Al-Abed told Reuters Health. Together with his team, Dr. Al-abed, at North-Shore-Long Island Jewish Research Institute in Manhasset, New York, developed an acetic acid methyl ester (ISO-1) that binds to MIF, thus blocking the downstream inflammatory cascade.
When administered to mice prior to streptozotocin-induced diabetes, 20 mg/kg ISO-1 completely inhibited the onset of hyperglycemia. And in a genetic model of the disease, 90% of mice were protected.
The protection was long-lasting; 10 days of treatment prevented disease onset for at least the next 50 days. “That’s why we call it a vaccine-like drug,” Dr. Al-Abed said. Doses 10 times higher than those required to prevent diabetes appeared to be nontoxic to the animals.
He suggested that in humans, those at risk who would perhaps benefit the most from early treatment with ISO-1 could be identified by genetic screening at birth or by testing for antibody markers later in life.
His group hopes to start testing ISO-1 in dogs and nonhuman primates within the next year, in preparation for moving into phase I safety trials.
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