New Medical Technology Could Replace Insulin Therapy For Type 1 Diabetics

A new medical technology in treating diabetes could replace insulin therapy to control blood sugar.

The technique, developed by a team of scientists at Gladstone Institutes, uses regenerative medicine to replenish destroyed cells in people with type 1 diabetes.

The destruction of B-cells – which is where insulin is naturally produced in the body – is how type-1 diabetes develops. Diabetes is then treated and managed mainly through glucose monitoring and injecting insulin. Since there is a limited supply of B-cells in the body, creating them artificially could be the solution.

Scientists found that regenerative medicine can provide an unlimited source of insulin-producing B-cells, which are then transplanted into the patient.

In the study, scientists collected skin cells from mice and then reprogrammed them into cells that mimic pancreas-like cells. They speculated that the cells would mature and secrete insulin – which would then lower blood sugar levels.

Within one week, glucose levels in the mice gradually approached normal levels. When the transplanted cells were removed, glucose levels spiked. This proved the correlation between the transplanted cells and reduced blood sugar. After 8 weeks, the transplanted cells were fully functioning B-cells and producing insulin.

The study demonstrates that cellular reprogramming could be used as personalized therapeutic approach in treating people with certain conditions.

Source

http://www.battlediabetes.com/news/diabetes-cure/scientists-reprogram-skin-cells-to-cure-diabetes?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+battlediabetes%2Fm

Related Article

Low-Glycemic Foods: A Diabetic’s Best Friend