Can a drug save Insulin-Making cells in kids with New-Onset diabetes?

NCT ID NCT03782636

First seen Nov 01, 2025 · Last updated Jun 24, 2026 · Updated 27 times

Summary

This phase 2 trial is testing whether aldesleukin, a drug that helps regulate the immune system, can preserve insulin production in children and young adults (ages 6-18) recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Participants receive either aldesleukin or a placebo for 6 months, and researchers measure changes in C-peptide levels (a marker of insulin production). The goal is to see if the drug can slow the loss of natural insulin-making ability.

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This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Addenbrooke's Hospital

    Cambridge, United Kingdom

  • Bristol Royal Hospital for Children

    Bristol, United Kingdom

  • Nottingham Children's Hospital

    Nottingham, United Kingdom

  • Oxford Children's Hospital

    Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom

  • The Great North Children's Hospital

    Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

Aldesleukin (a lab-made version of interleukin-2, a protein that helps regulate the immune system)

What this could lead to

If it works, this could point toward a way to preserve natural insulin production in people newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, potentially reducing their long-term reliance on insulin injections.

What could go wrong

This is a small, early-phase trial with only 41 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Aldesleukin can cause flu-like symptoms and skin reactions, and it is unclear if it will meaningfully preserve insulin production over time.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

type 1 diabetes mellitus

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.