Research suggests the new drug Diamyd can halt the progression of type I diabetes and improve the patient's ability to produce insulin. The 18-month clinical trial -- described at the International Diabetes Society meeting in Cambridge, England -- also led to the identification of an immune cell that appears to be involved in the drug's protective mechanism. The results may lead to a new treatment to prevent Type I, or juvenile, diabetes, for which currently there is no cure. The disease affects one in 300 people, developing at an average age of 12. In the disorder, the immune system mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, leading to a depletion of the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. Patients must inject insulin daily. Many experience long-term complications, including kidney and heart disease, nervous system damage and blindness. The trial, supported by the drug's maker, Diamyd Medical of Stockholm, Sweden, showed the drug improved the patients' ability to make insulin over an 18-month period.