Update on global intervention studies in type 1 diabetes.

Remarkable progress has been made in strategies to arrest pancreatic β-cell destruction in type 1 diabetes. Although knowledge of the disease has increased, a safe therapeutic intervention to reverse or prevent it remains elusive. The interaction of genes, immune system, and environment result in a complex disease process that has delayed hopes for a cure. Several well-designed prevention and intervention studies have aspired to test potentially efficacious and safe therapies. This article updates the principles used to design prevention and intervention trials, reviews clinical trials, addresses controversial issues, and provides a framework for future efforts to interdict this condition.
(Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)