Chinese scientists have reportedly discovered a potential cure for diabetes, a disease that affects over four million people in the UK and ranks as the ninth leading cause of death globally, according to the World Health Organization. This revolutionary treatment, which utilizes cell transplantation, was detailed in a recent report in the Cell Discovery journal.
Diabetes is characterized by excessively high blood sugar levels and comes in two forms: type 1 and type 2. While the exact cause of type 1 diabetes remains unknown, type 2 diabetes is often linked to obesity and lack of physical activity. Current treatments focus on managing the condition or achieving remission through lifestyle changes, but until now, no known cure existed.
The innovative procedure was performed on a 59-year-old man with type 2 diabetes, who had been living with the condition for 25 years and had nearly lost the function of insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas. The patient, identified as high risk for severe complications, required multiple daily insulin injections to prevent diabetic coma. However, since undergoing the cell transplantation in 2021, he has been medication-free since 2022.
The treatment involved engineering an artificial version of the pancreatic islet cells that produce insulin and regulate blood sugar levels. Scientists turned stem cells, which are undifferentiated cells with the potential to become any cell type, into these specialized pancreatic cells. These lab-crafted cells were then inserted into the patient, enabling him to produce his own insulin once again.
The study is the culmination of years of global research aimed at perfecting the conversion of stem cells into islet cells and determining the most effective method to incorporate these cells into the human body. According to Dr. Yin Hao, the lead researcher, “Our technology has matured and it has pushed boundaries in the field of regenerative medicine for the treatment of diabetes.”
This groundbreaking procedure was a collaborative effort between three Shanghai-based institutions: Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, the Centre for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Renji Hospital. While the results are promising, the researchers caution that this method may currently be effective only in patients with type 2 diabetes. This is due to the likelihood that the immune system in type 1 diabetes patients might reject the newly implanted cells.
Future plans include testing the therapy on more patients to further assess its efficacy and potential for broader application. If successful, this breakthrough could revolutionize diabetes treatment and offer new hope to millions of people worldwide.
