Jan. 29, 2001-- Reported by Science Specialist Ed Yeates
Primary Children's Hospital might become a national research center, testing experimental treatments for the prevention of juvenile diabetes.
The hospital plans on applying for the designation within the next two months.
How about an implanted device which literally becomes an artificial pancreas? Or a simple pill taken by mouth which actually prevents the onset of diabetes?
Primary Children's here could become a major player testing these and many more things.
Suzanne and James McAllister brought their daughter Lydia to University Hospital today for a battery of tests to measure how her pancreas is working.
Lyda has Type One diabetes.
But for 14 days last year, she took an experimental drug under the direction of New York physician Kevan Herold.
Inside Lydia's body, the drug targeted those cells involved in the destruction of insulin producing beta cells.
A year later here in Salt Lake...
SUZANNE MCALLISTER, LYDIA'S MOM: "HER INSULIN IS STILL DOWN. SHE TAKES VERY LITTLE INSULIN. AND WE FEEL THAT HER BETA CELLS ARE STILL WORKING REALLY WELL."
The drug is not curing Lydia's diabetes. It's reducing the amount of insulin required to keep her disease under control.
But Lydia is a pioneer, paving the way for other high risk kids who haven't yet developed diabetes. For them, the drug might act like a vaccine.
KEVAN HEROLD, M.D., NAOMI BERRIES DIABETES CENTER: "ABSOLUTELY. AND WE HOPE THAT IF WE INTERVENE A BIT EARLIER IN THE COURSE OF THE DISEASE, WE MIGHT PREVENT ITS EXPRESSION. SO YES, ABSOLUTELY, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO."
But it's not just in New York.
Primary Children's Hospital and the University of Utah are also experimenting with new treatments. As a national testing center, Primary Children's could launch a number of new trials on new drugs and devices.
How about an implantable pump?
DANA HARDIN, M.D., MEDICAL DIRECTOR, PCMC DIABETES CENTER: "SO THAT A PERSON COULD HAVE A SMALL PUMP INPLANTED THAT WOULD ACTUALLY RECOGNIZE A PATIENT'S BLOOD SUGAR JUST LIKE OUR PANCREAS KNOWS TO DO NOW. IT WOULD BE AN ARTIFICIAL PANCREAS."
Dr. Hardin came to Primary from Houston. She brought with her yet a third prevention trial which, like the New York study, will test another medication. It's an oral pill, which could also act like a vaccine and prevent destruction of beta cells.
