Joslin Diabetes Center researchers are preparing to launch a clinical trial to investigate whether salsalate, an anti-inflammatory drug similar to aspirin used for years to manage arthritis pain, can reduce blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

About 800 adults with poorly controlled blood glucose levels are being sought to participate in the three-year study, referred to as Targeting Inflammation with Salsalate in Type 2 Diabetes (TINSAL-T2D).

The study, funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), will be conducted at Joslin in Boston and at 15 other medical institutions across the United States.

“This is the first large-scale study in patients that tests whether reducing inflammation can actually be used to treat diabetes,” said principal investigator Dr. Steven E. Shoelson, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS).

“Given what we are learning about how type 2 diabetes develops, we think this might be getting at an underlying cause. We hope the study shows that targeting inflammation is a safe and inexpensive way to treat type 2 diabetes," said Shoelson.

"We also hope that reducing inflammation decreases risk for coronary heart disease, which is another theory that we will be testing in a separate clinical study in the coming months," he added.

Dr. Allison B. Goldfine, Assistant Director of Clinical Research at Joslin, said "salsalate, which is chemically similar to aspirin but has fewer side effects, has been used for more than 40 years in people to treat pain associated with arthritis.

"Recent studies in people show that salsalate may also lower blood glucose, but further testing needs to be done," she said.

For the TINSAL-T2D study, the researchers are seeking adults ages 18 to 75 whose glucose levels are not in good control and who don’t take insulin. Participants must be using no medication or be taking only one oral medication, or a low-dose combination of oral medications.