A vaccine originally developed to prevent tuberculosis more than a century ago may help people with Type 1 diabetes use less insulin, according to early clinical trial results.
Researchers found that repeated doses of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine improved blood sugar control and reduced insulin requirements in people with Type 1 diabetes and latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), a slower-progressing form of the disease.
The BCG vaccine, first introduced more than 100 years ago to prevent tuberculosis, is also used as an immunotherapy for bladder cancer because of its ability to stimulate the immune system.
In one five-year trial, adults with childhood-onset Type 1 diabetes who received six doses of the vaccine had better long-term blood sugar control, spent more time within a healthy glucose range, and needed less insulin than those given a placebo.
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