Researchers in China have announced the first-ever reported cure for diabetes through cell therapy. Since 2022, a 59-year-old patient who received a novel cell transplant in 2021 has not taken medication.
An artificial version of the pancreatic cells that produce insulin and aid in blood sugar regulation was created as part of the experiment. The patient had been living with type 2 diabetes for 25 years and had nearly lost all function of these islet cells, putting him at high risk for severe problems and needing several daily insulin shots to prevent going into diabetic coma.
"He was at great risk of serious diabetes complications," said Yin Hao, a prominent researcher at Shanghai Changzheng Hospital. Within eleven weeks following the cell transplant in July 2021, the patient no longer required exogenous insulin, and his oral medication dosage was gradually reduced until it was completely stopped a year later. Follow-up examinations showed that the patient's pancreatic islet function was effectively restored, and he has now been insulin-free for 33 months.
This medical innovation, achieved by a team of doctors and researchers from Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, the Centre for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Renji Hospital, was released on April 30 in the journal Cell Discovery. The patient's own peripheral blood mononuclear cells were employed and trained by the scientists to create "seed cells" that recreated pancreatic islet tissue in an artificial environment.ironment.
Yin highlighted that this breakthrough represents a major advancement in the emerging field of regenerative medicine, where the body's own regenerative capabilities are utilized to treat illnesses. He said, "Our technology has matured, and it has pushed boundaries in the field of regenerative medicine for the treatment of diabetes."
Diabetes is a long-term illness that impairs the body's capacity to use food as fuel. The pancreatic islets create insulin, which is essential for controlling blood sugar levels. In diabetes, this system malfunctions: either the body does not produce enough insulin or it cannot use insulin effectively. Nearly 90% of individuals with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, which is the most prevalent type and is mostly diet-related. It develops gradually. Diabetes can cause major side effects such as kidney disease, heart disease, and eyesight loss if it is not well managed.
Creating islet-like cells from human stem cell cultures is the main method used by scientists worldwide to investigate islet transplantation as a potential substitute. After more than a decade of work, significant progress has been made by this Chinese scientific team.
China has the greatest rate of diabetes patients globally, and as such, it has a considerable healthcare expense. In China, 40 million people require lifetime insulin injections, out of 140 million people with diabetes, according to the International Diabetes Federation. The pressure on healthcare could be significantly reduced by this novel cell therapy.
This accomplishment represents the first successful application of islet transplantation obtained from stem cells to treat diabetes worldwide. The 59-year-old patient had been dependent on multiple daily insulin injections after a significant decline in pancreatic islet function following a kidney transplant in 2017. In July 2021, a team led by researcher Yin Hao used the patient’s own blood cells to create stem cells, which were then converted into pancreatic islet cells. Within 11 weeks of the transplant, the patient no longer required exogenous insulin. A year later, oral medication was likewise progressively tapered off and eventually stopped.
Subsequent examinations revealed normal kidney function and restored pancreas function, indicating a possible cure. Despite this development, more research is needed to confirm the long-term efficacy and expand the application of this treatment.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/ Susmita Bhandary/MSM)
