Research and US approvals point to a growing role for immune therapies that can delay clinical diabetes and preserve insulin-producing cells in some patients.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, leaving the body unable to make enough insulin on its own, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The condition is often associated with children and younger adults, but it can appear at any age. One of the biggest challenges is that symptoms may not be obvious at first; when they do emerge, they can come on quickly and become severe. The CDC says there is no known way to prevent type 1 diabetes.
Although prevention is not yet possible, treatment research is moving towards slowing the disease before it advances. A 2026 review in Diabetes Care says disease-modifying therapies, particularly anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies such as teplizumab, can delay progression from stage 2 to clinical stage 3 type 1 diabetes by roughly three to five years. The review also says these medicines may help preserve remaining beta-cell function after diagnosis, which can reduce the amount of insulin a patient needs for a period of time.
That research has already translated into real-world use in selected patients. The US Food and Drug Administration says teplizumab has been approved to delay the loss of the body’s own insulin production in children and teenagers aged eight to 17 who have recently been diagnosed with stage 3 type 1 diabetes. The agency said a placebo-controlled study found that patients given teplizumab experienced a smaller decline in beta-cell function, measured by C-peptide, than those given placebo. The official prescribing information also says the drug can delay diagnosis in people with stage 2 disease, with a median time to diagnosis of 50 months compared with 25 months for placebo in the TN-10 study.
The broader clinical picture remains one of careful monitoring, early recognition and ongoing insulin management. The CDC says insulin is essential because it allows sugar to move from the bloodstream into the body’s cells, and people with type 1 diabetes need daily insulin treatment. Specialists also stress the importance of screening in families at higher risk, because identifying the disease early may create opportunities for timely treatment and, in some cases, enrolment in studies of newer immune therapies. As the evidence base grows, the focus is shifting from simply treating established diabetes to slowing the underlying autoimmune process before more beta cells are lost.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
