Researchers said they believe cancer drugs may be able to prevent or even reverse type 1 diabetes.

Scientists at the Diabetes Center at the University of California, San Francisco said there are two drugs already on the market that could help people living with the disease.

A study with non-obese diabetic mice showed that using the drugs before the onset of the disease helped to prevent it, and there was an 80 percent success rate for permanent remission.

"Using drugs that are already approved has the ability potentially to more rapidly move from the bedside into the clinic," said researcher Dr. Jeffrey Bluestone.

There are potential side effects from the medication, but they are more likely to appear in cancer patients than diabetics who are generally healthy except for a lack of insulin, according to scientists.

Researchers said they are planning to perform a study on humans.