Type 1 diabetes, or T1D, leads to the loss of insulin-producing cells and lifelong reliance on insulin therapy. Preserving these cells could lead to longer, healthier lives for patients. Researchers previously detected a low-grade enteroviral infection at onset of T1D. So, those researchers administered a six-month combination antiviral treatment to children and adolescents newly diagnosed with T1D. One year post-diagnosis, patients treated with antivirals maintained more of their own insulin production. The findings suggest that early intervention with antivirals could salvage the remaining function of insulin-producing beta-cells. Further, the treatment was absent of severe side effects and well-tolerated by patients. While validation is needed from research in more diverse populations, this promising treatment could potentially transform the management of Type 1 diabetes. The principal investigator of the study was Senior Professor Knut Dahl-Jorgensen, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.