Iraqi-Australians behind 'promising' type 1 diabetes treatment research

Far North Queensland couple Rafid Al-Hallaf and Zainab Agha are leading early research on a promising type 1 diabetes treatment. Their work, published in the Journal of Immunology, targets the underlying cause of the disease by using specifically engineered antibodies. The therapy, which has shown 80% success in mice trials, aims to stop the immune system from destroying insulin-producing cells instead of merely replacing the insulin the body can no longer produce.

Current treatments suppress the entire immune system, leaving patients vulnerable to infections. The new antibody, dubbed x-mAb, selectively disables rogue T cells responsible for the damage. In mouse trials, 16 treated mice achieved normal blood sugar levels, compared to none of the placebo group. Another experiment with pre-diabetic mice showed that 70% of the treated group remained disease-free after three months.

While the St Vincent's Institute team has explored a broader immune-blocking drug, Dr Al-Hallaf emphasizes the unique specificity of their approach. To move forward, the JHU team will need FDA clearance before human trials can begin, which could take a decade or more. Dr Al-Hallaf and his family ultimately aim to return to Cairns, where they hope to further research this diabetes treatment and potentially apply it to skin cancer, a prevalent issue in Far North Queensland.