Elimination Of B Cells Aids In The Treatment Of Diabetes
December 4, 2007 by Kendra James, RN
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Yale school of Medicine, New Haven has developed the means to establish the depletion of B cells in diabetes and proven to reverse the disease that was established in mice.
Pretty darn cool. Up to now scientists have been able to do this with RA, rheumatoid arthritis, but haven’t had the tools to recreate this same type of research among diabetic cells.
In the study, autoimmune diabetes–susceptible mice were engineered such that their B cells expressed human CD20. Depletion of B cells in these mice before they showed signs of diabetes, using a single dose of a CD20-specific antibody, delayed and/or reduced the onset of disease.
It is truly amazing how we can dissect how our bodies work and recreate different situations to enhance and further science!
Wow, that is really really cool! New research like this always fascinates me. – But even more fascinating is the human body and all the intricate little ways that it works!