A dysfunctional immune system triggers type 1 diabetes, but the experimental drug 5-F-FTS shows early promise in fixing it. The drug deactivates a protein believed to play a critical role in diabetes development and boosts an immune cell that fights the disease. In a study of mice, only 17 percent of those on the therapy became diabetic, compared with 72 percent of untreated mice. Tests in humans of 5-F-FTS (5-fluoro-farnesylthiosalicylic acid) as an anticancer medication found it not to be toxic. The next step may be to measure its effectiveness in preventing diabetes in people.
Source: European Journal of Pharmacology, Aug. 15, 2009