A Q&A with Aaron Michels, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine, and Immunology at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, CU Anschutz
What is your invention?
An insulin vaccine to prevent and treat Type 1 Diabetes
What's your discovery?
Our discovery is an insulin-based vaccine designed to retrain the immune system to recognize insulin-producing cells in the pancreas as a normal, natural cell rather than a target of attack. This approach aims to prevent and treat type 1 diabetes by stopping the autoimmune process before it destroys the insulin-producing cells.
What motivated you to do this research?
Our research was motivated by the question of why certain genetic factors protect some people from developing type 1 diabetes. By understanding how these protective genes influence immune tolerance, we designed a therapy to safely retrain the immune system to preserve insulin-producing cells.
What's the potential impact of your discovery?
Type 1 diabetes develops when specific white blood cells in the immune system target and destroy insulin-producing cells. Our discovery could lead to a therapy that teaches the immune system to protect, rather than attack, the body’s own insulin-producing cells.
"This approach has the potential to prevent type 1 diabetes before it starts or slow its progression in those already diagnosed."
What near-term milestones are you most excited about?
We’re excited to build on our success in animal studies, where the insulin-based vaccine safely delayed the onset of diabetes. Our next milestones include advancing this approach toward human studies to test its safety and ability to preserve insulin production in people at risk for or newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
What future directions do you wish to expand this discovery?
Future studies are ongoing to advance this discovery to patients in the clinic. We are also exploring combination approaches with other therapies to enhance immune protection and further delay disease onset.
Learn more about Dr. Michels' research here: michelslab.com
Learn more about this technology
For inquiries on licensing this technology contact: thomas.utley@cuanschutz.edu
Ref# CU3588H / 303-724-0220
