Anne Marie Tiernon/Eyewitness News
Indianapolis - A Hoosier doctor is leading the global clincial trial of a novel approach to treating diabetes. They are now enrolling patients and they are flying in for treatment.
DVD episodes of Lost help Louis Celano pass the time. The 12-year-old from Maryland is one of just 66 newly diagnosed type one diabetes patients worldwide testing a new treatment.
"If the diabetes gets better than it is definitely worth it," said Louis.
Drs. Mark Pescovitz and Henry Rodriguez at the IU School of Medicine are heading up the global trial of Rituximab. "These sort of trials put Indiana on the map because patients come from literally around the country to participate in these trials," said Dr. Pescovitz.
The drug is currently used for patients with lymphoma and rheumtoid arthritis. Pescovitz says in Louis, a type of white blood cell called the T-cell is attacking his pancreas and diminishing its ability to make insulin. But instead of go after the T-cell, Pescovitz says Rituximab goes after another white blood cell, the B-cell.
"They also serve food, if you would, to the T-cells, so without the B-cells serving food to the T-cells, the T-cells starve and die," said Dr. Pescovitz. "So the whole idea behind this particular project is to attack the servers, attack the B-cells, the T-cells will starve and no further damage would happen to the pancreas, so that is the rationale behind this study."
That is a paradigm shift in current diabetes management. In the trial two of every three patients gets a series of Rituximab IV doses. The third gets a placebo.
During visits, all participants like Louis drink a carefully measured liquid meal. A series of blood tests after consumption measure Louis's ability to make insulin after a meal.
Studies confirm patients who retain some insulin-making ability do better long term.
"My greatest hope for Louis is that we would stop destruction of the pancreas and his pancreas cells would be able to recover to the point that he would not require insulin shots," said Pescovitz.
Louis flies home after treatment with a consistent hope "that it works and that the diabetes doesn't get as bad."
Call 1-866-230-8486 for information about enrollment. They are enrolling patients ages 12-45 who have been diagnosed with diabetes within the last three months.
