Summary

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune disease that is driven by activated T-lymphocytes. To be fully active, immune T-cells need a costimulatory signal in addition to the main antigen-driven signal. A previous study showed that abatacept, a costimulation modulator that prevents full T-cell activation, slowed reduction in b-cell function over 2 years in individuals with recent-onset T1DM [Orban T et al. Lancet 2011]. This article discusses the 1-year follow-up data from the previous 2-year study [NCT00505375].