Trials of Type 1 Diabetes Vaccines Bring Mixed Results

By Steven Reinberg
TUESDAY, June 28 (HealthDay News) -- A vaccine developed to prevent the progression of type 1 diabetes shows some promise, while another designed to alter insulin production fails, according to the results of two new studies.
The results of both studies were slated to be presented Tuesday at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting in San Diego.
Type 1 diabetes often appears early in life and is thought to be an immune system disorder involving the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. About 5% of diabetic people have the type 1 form of the disease.

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linagliptin, Tradjenta

GENERIC NAME: linagliptin

BRAND NAME: Tradjenta

DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Linagliptin is an oral drug that reduces blood sugar (glucose) levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. Linagliptin is a member of a class of drugs that inhibit the enzyme, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4). Other members of this class include sitagliptin (Januvia), and saxagliptin (Onglyza). Following a meal, incretin hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) are released from the intestine, and their levels increase in the blood. GLP-1 and GIP reduce blood glucose by increasing the production and release of insulin from the pancreas. GLP-1 also reduces blood glucose by reducing the secretion by the pancreas of the hormone, glucagon, a hormone that increases the production of glucose by the liver and raises the blood level of glucose. The net effect of increased release of GLP-1 and GIP is to reduce blood glucose levels. Linagliptin inhibits the enzyme, DPP-4, that destroys GLP-1 and GIP and thereby increases the levels and activity of both hormones. As a result, levels of GLP-1 and GIP in the blood remain higher, and blood glucose levels fall. In summary, linagliptin reduces blood glucose levels by inhibiting DPP-4 and increasing the levels of GLP-1 and GIP. Linagliptin was approved by the FDA in May 2011.

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Mesothelioma Treatment

If there’s one thing we know about mesothelioma treatment, it’s this: we’re still being challenged to arrive at efficacy.

Despite years of research since the disease was first identified, it’s still difficult to identify the best approach to treating the disease, says David Rice, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon and nationally known mesothelioma expert who practices at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX.

The very rareness of the cancer—only about 3,000 people a year are diagnosed in the United States—makes it difficult to run the kind of research studies needed to compare treatments and determine the ideal therapy at each stage of the disease. “There isn’t a lot of evidence-based science in this disease,” Dr. Rice admits. So when his patients ask him what the best treatment is for the disease, he tells them what we tell you in this section, adding that “we don’t have a reliable cure for this disease.”

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MesotheliomaAsbestos Exposure and Cancer

Long considered a miracle material, asbestos boasts excellent fire and heat resistant properties. This naturally occurring mineral, now known to be a human carcinogen, has a history that dates back to ancient Greece. Asbestos was used as a building material, even as far back as during the Roman Empire, and was also used to in fabric that would be used in clothing and a variety of other textiles.

During the Industrial Revolution, asbestos found new uses in factories and other heavy industries throughout the United States and abroad. Asbestos found use not only in factories, but also in oil refineries, chemical plants, on railroad cars, and in shipyards. Asbestos materials were used to insulate pipes and boilers in steam locomotives, to line tanks and ovens in refineries, and could be found literally everywhere aboard the nation’s ships, from engine rooms to galleys. As the twentieth century progressed, more uses for asbestos were found. It was used in the brakes and clutches of automobiles, insulated America’s new skyscrapers, and was used extensively in the construction industry, where it was used in asbestos products like joint compounds, cements, roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, siding, stucco, plaster, and much more. Those workers at risk included any that worked in an asbestos-heavy industry or frequently handled these products.

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Veterans & Mesothelioma

For decades, the men and women from all four branches (Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines) of the United States military have defended our country, both in times of war and in times of peace. Veterans put their lives on the line each and every day, both on the battlefront and at the many U.S. military bases located around the world. Of all the individuals in the United States that have been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer, the veteran population has been affected the most.

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Alternative Mesothelioma Treatment Options

There are many options for treatment upon receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis. Traditional treatments, such as chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation, may be the very first options that a physician will recommend. These, however, are not the only options, and many individuals suffering from mesothelioma choose to couple the traditional forms of mesothelioma treatment with alternative options.
Alternative treatments that may benefit individuals who suffer from asbestos cancer include:

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