This Medical Breakthrough Offers Hope for Those with Diabetes

Why It’s Not Available to Everyone

Author

My Longevity Experiment
February 23, 2025

Breakthrough Stem Cell Treatment Shows Potential Cure for Type 1 Diabetes

Most individuals with type 1 diabetes face a lifelong battle to manage their blood sugar levels through insulin therapy, a controlled diet, and regular exercise. The autoimmune nature of the disease prevents natural insulin production, making reversal or remission nearly impossible. However, a groundbreaking clinical case in China has raised the possibility of a universal cure.

A Landmark Achievement in Diabetes Treatment

In June 2023, a team of researchers in China performed an innovative procedure on a 26-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes. Scientists injected approximately 1.5 million insulin-producing cells into her abdominal muscles. These cells were derived from her own stem cells and carefully reprogrammed to function as insulin-producing pancreatic islets.

Just two and a half months after the procedure, the patient no longer required insulin injections—effectively reversing her severe, long-term diabetes. More than four months after the transplantation, her body was producing sufficient insulin naturally, maintaining blood glucose levels within a safe range for over 98 percent of the day.

If her body continues to generate insulin without external intervention, she could be the first documented case of a type 1 diabetes cure in medical literature.

"That's remarkable," said diabetes researcher Daisuke Yabe, who was not involved in the study, in an interview with Nature reporter Smriti Mallapaty. "If this is applicable to other patients, it's going to be wonderful."

Expanding Clinical Trials to More Patients

Following the success of this case, researchers in China are preparing to extend their clinical trial to additional patients. The disease mechanism behind type 1 diabetes involves the immune system attacking pancreatic islets, the insulin-producing clusters of cells within the pancreas. While islet or whole-pancreas transplants can be effective for select patients, they are highly invasive, carry significant risks, and suffer from a limited supply of donors.

For over two decades, scientists have attempted to develop insulin-producing cells from fully differentiated adult tissue. The goal has been to reverse-engineer these tissues into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which can then be transformed into insulin-producing cells. However, achieving precise functionality comparable to natural pancreatic islets has proven difficult.

A New Approach to Stem Cell Therapy

The Chinese research team adopted a novel approach by reprogramming adult tissues into stem cells using small molecules rather than introducing proteins to trigger gene expression. This method provides greater control over cell development and differentiation.

After demonstrating success in mice and non-human primates, researchers received approval to begin human clinical trials. Currently, three patients are enrolled in the ongoing study, with the 26-year-old woman being the first to receive the treatment.

She had previously undergone a pancreas transplant to manage severe hypoglycemia, but complications led to the removal of the organ. Now, her stem cell transplant appears to be a more effective and safer solution, working in conjunction with immunosuppressive drugs.

Growing Evidence for Stem Cell-Based Diabetes Treatment

This study joins a growing body of research suggesting that stem cell-based therapies may provide a viable treatment for type 1 diabetes. In a separate clinical trial in the United States, a group of 12 patients with type 1 diabetes received injections of insulin-producing islets derived from donor stem cells. Preliminary results indicated that all participants began naturally producing insulin when glucose entered their bloodstream, demonstrating the potential of stem cell therapy.

"Overall," wrote the Chinese researchers, "the findings support further clinical studies in this direction and mark a step forward in achieving the potential of personalized cell therapy… to treat disease."

The study was published in Cell and represents a significant milestone in the pursuit of a cure for type 1 diabetes. If further trials confirm these results, stem cell therapy could revolutionize diabetes treatment and offer hope to millions worldwide.

Study Links: