Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug May Help Treat Type 2 Diabetes

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"Our study is proof of concept for a mechanism underlying the disease and (may possibly) block its progression," said Donath, who added, "Interleukin-1 beta may be involved in other complications of the disease, such as arteriosclerosis. Therefore, this therapy may also prevent cardiovascular events. However, this remains to be shown."

Anakinra was well tolerated by the study participants, and Donath and his colleagues plan on conducting larger, follow-up studies of the medication.

"This study points to inflammation as definitely having a role in the (diabetes) story," said Dr. Stuart Weiss, an endocrinologist at New York University Medical Center, and a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the New York University School of Medicine.

But, Weiss said that while this avenue of research is "worth pursuing, I wouldn't get my hopes up for a clinical application, especially since the drug appears to lose its effectiveness over time."

Additionally, Weiss pointed out that it appeared the drug was more effective in thinner people. "The authors don't really discuss this, but it's an interesting finding -- it's not what we'd expect."

More information

To learn more about type 2 diabetes, visit the National Library of Medicine.