Autoantigen Vaccination in Human Type 1 Newly Diagnosed Diabetes Mellitus

Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (also called type 1 diabetes mellitus or T1DM) is caused by the destruction of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. People with T1DM do not produce enough insulin, which is necessary for proper regulation of blood sugar levels. T1DM is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is a disease in which the body's immune system attacks the body itself. In addition to regulating blood sugar, insulin may have the ability to protect cells in the pancreas from attack by the immune system. This study will evaluate whether an insulin-based vaccine can protect cells from autoimmune destruction. Study hypothesis: IFA-enhanced human insulin B-chain vaccination will lead to the arrest or slowing of the ongoing autoimmunity, and this will result in an appreciable difference in functioning B cell mass compared to the placebo treated group by the end of the study.