Causes For Type 1 Diabetes Remain Unclear
WSU News Service
April 2, 2002
According to a new study published in the April issue of Nature Medicine (reported April 2 in Reuters Health ), the seeds of Type 1 diabetes could in some cases rest in antibodies passed from mother to infant. The findings stand in contrast to what has been believed about the abnormal immune response that causes Type 1 diabetes--and suggest that this "paradigm should now be re-evaluated," according to some experts.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas no longer produces insulin, a hormone key in moving sugars from the blood and into cells to be used for energy. The disease arises from an aberrant immune system assault on the pancreatic cells that churn out insulin. According to the new study, which was based on experiments with mice, if the mouse findings can be extended to humans, it could become possible to prevent certain cases of early childhood Type 1 diabetes.
R. Keith Campbell, associate dean and professor of pharmacy at Washington State University, states that the precise causes for Type 1 diabetes are far from conclusive, however. "What triggers diabetes is a complex and not totally understood process," he said. A member of the WSU pharmacy faculty for 34 years, Campbell is one of four diabetes experts in the United States to be recognized with a Boehringer Mannheim/The Zitter Group "Diabetes Disease Management Leadership Award" for his impact on the care of diabetes patients.
A diabetic himself for 52 years and 4 months, Campbell is the longest continuous user of an insulin pump in the world and has published more than 500 articles on diabetes. His research focuses on new products and devices that are used to treat patients with diabetes. Campbell was the only scientist in Washington whose grant proposal was selected for funding. In addition to his awards, Campbell has also been named a consultant to the endocrine branch of the federal Food and Drug Administration.
Lecture Details
View lecture on TVW Windows Media Player format
Download Professor Campbell's powerpoint presentation (18 MB)
More about Professor Campbell
News Releases
Campbell Named Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy
Diabetes Control Needs Additional Attention, Study Warns
Causes For Type 1 Diabetes Remain Unclear
WSU Faculty Author Book on Diabetes Medications
Downloadable Photo
Download print quality image of Professor Campbell
Other Resources
Heading using the h3tag
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.