Winer also noted that anti-CD20 is not benign. It dampens the immune system and can cause significant side effects, so he said he wasn't sure if it would ever be used for type 2 diabetes because other treatments are available.
Dr. David Kendall, chief scientific and medical officer for the American Diabetes Association, agreed.
"This doesn't change our current approach to type 2 diabetes therapy, but it's important to understand that type 2 has multiple contributors to its onset. For some people, it may be an immune component, and if it is, we should be able to develop some better therapies," Kendall said.
"People with type 2 diabetes are often blamed for bringing the disease on, but it's a combination of genetic and physiological factors exposed to a certain environment. And, this study points out what may be another important biologic factor," he added.
More information
To learn more about type 2 diabetes, visit the American Diabetes Association.
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