A step closer for Type 1 diabetes cure

Scientists from hospitals and institutions in the US, including Harvard University, have been successful in halting Type 1 diabetes for at least six months by implanting cells that produce insulin.

Following implantation in mice, the cells, which were generated from human stem cells, immediately started to produce insulin in response to blood glucose levels, and managed to maintain a healthy range of blood glucose for the length of the study (174 days).

The experts were also able to show that they could prevent the immune system from rendering the cells useless once they had entered the body.

400,000 people in the UK are affected by Type 1 diabetes and scientists are now working to duplicate the results in people suffering from the condition.

The studies were made possible through funding from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

Julia Greenstein, vice president of JDRF, said “Encapsulation therapies have the potential to be ground-breaking for people with Type 1 diabetes.

“These treatments aim to effectively establish long-term insulin independence and eliminate the daily burden of managing the disease for months, possibly years, at a time without the need for immune suppression.

“JDRF is excited by these findings and we hope to see this research progress into human clinical trials and ultimately a potential new Type 1 diabetes therapy.”

Daniel Anderson, associate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s chemical engineering department and senior author of the research, said “We are excited by these results, and are working hard to advance this technology to the clinic.”

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