Experimental Drug holds promise

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Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say that an experimental monoclonal antibody drug called mAb43 appears to prevent and reverse the onset of clinical type 1 diabetes in mice, and in some cases, to lengthen the animals' lifespan.

The drug is unique, according to the researchers, because it targets insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas directly and is designed to shield those cells from attacks by the body's own immune system cells. The drug's specificity for such cells may enable long-term use in humans with few side effects, say the researchers. Monoclonal antibodies are made by cloning, or making identical replicas of, an animal (including human) cell line.

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