In 2002, the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Diabetes Research made diabetes research history by reversing and curing type 1diabetes in mice. Using a mechanism that allowed the re-growth of the missing insulin secreting tissue, the disease has not re-occured in these mice. We were greatly encouraged by these findings as they confirmed that we have been pursuing a path that we hoped would lead to discovering a cure for type 1 diabetes in humans. Furthermore, it was discovered that this finding could provide us with important clues to also treat other autoimmune diseases such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. The ability to re-grow missing adult organs in adult animals opens up future treatment possibilities never visualized.

Over the past year, we have committed a significant clinical research effort to study diabetic blood from people in all stages of diabetes for the same potentially treatable defects. Currently the data is very encouraging as it indicates that the markers of disease and treatment will be very similar between the mouse and human with diabetes.

The Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Diabetes Research has secured approval to take this exciting potential therapy to human clinical trial. However, the greatest obstacle in our path is the lack of funds to carry on these clinical trials that we believe could mark a breakthrough in the treatment of diabetes and other diseases. We ask you to please consider becoming our partner in this innovative and promising research by making a charitable gift in support of our goal to cure type 1 diabetes. For further information or to inquire on creative ways to make a gift, please contact: (617) 724-6432 or email us at [email protected]. To make a gift online or read additional information on this study, please visit our website at www.massgeneral.org/diabetes.

Posted by Denis Bustin at November 18, 2003 08:57 PM