Can Insulin Pills Prevent Diabetes?

Doctors are looking at the effects of an insulin pill for treating potential diabetics.

A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health could shed some light on delaying or even preventing the onset of diabetes.

Four hundred adults and children at risk for Type 1 diabetes are taking part in the study.

Results of an earlier study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, revealed changes in the immune system of children taking the insulin pill, which could potentially keep the disease at bay.

The preliminary study was too small and too short for verifiable results, but the new study has the potential for real breakthroughs for at-risk children and adults.

"Does it prevent indefinitely? Does it slow down, does it delay diabetes?" Dr. Louis Philipson, a diabetes specialist at the University of Chicago, asked. "That could also be a pretty big win."