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We’re that much closer as a society to curing the effects of type 1 diabetes. In an eight-year study, researchers found that a tuberculosis vaccine offers relief for the autoimmune disease that was previously thought to have no cure.
The shocking realization was a welcome surprise, especially as the treatment is readily accessible and is an easy way to treat those affected, even if their condition is long-standing.
Physicians at the Massachusetts General Hospital have used the BCG tuberculosis vaccine for almost 100 years and only recently discovered that it can reverse the harmful effects brought on by diabetes.
After giving the shot to a patient with the autoimmune disease followed by a booster shot four weeks later, the patient’s low blood sugar levels returned to normal and remained in this healthy state for the next five years.
All 52 adults involved in the study (who also suffered from type 1 diabetes) experienced the same positive results, while those who were given the placebo had higher blood sugar levels.
The study gave the medical community the assurance they needed that the vaccination could successfully stabilize lower blood sugars and bring them to normal levels in a safe way for the patients, Denise Faustman, the director of the MGH Immunobiology Laboratory and senior author of the report said.
Through the study, physicians were able to understand how the BCG vaccine can have a positive effect on our immune systems and give those with type 1 diabetes the chance to live healthier, happier, and longer lives.
In the US alone, there are around 1.25 million people living with type 1 diabetes who can now look forward to a simple and affordable cure.
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