A new cell-transplant procedure is showing early signs of success in helping people with Type 1 diabetes live without insulin. That’s according to physicians and recently released clinical trial data.
Dr. Stanley Mathew told Straight Arrow News that islet cell transplantation — a process that infuses pancreatic cells into the portal vein of the liver — has enabled a small group of patients to produce their own insulin.
“I think it was 12 patients, and they were able to be insulin-free,” Mathew said.
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How does it work?
Once the cells lodge in the liver, they begin functioning like natural insulin-producing islets. But Mathew said the approach has historically been limited.
“The issue has always been that your body tends to reject it, and the immunosuppressants that have been used can raise blood sugars and cause other problems,” he said.
That same clinical study evaluating a stem-cell–derived islet therapy reported encouraging results.
Ten of the 12 participants who received a full dose of the therapy were insulin-independent one year after treatment. All 12 avoided severe hypoglycemic episodes and maintained glycated hemoglobin levels below 7%.
A recent medical review on emerging therapies called procedures like these a significant step toward what could become the first functional cure for Type 1 diabetes. The disease affects more than 2 million people in the United States and currently has no cure, with insulin remaining the standard of care.
