Sep 28, 2024
Healthcare Trends
In a medical breakthrough that could redefine diabetes treatment, a 25-year-old woman in Tianjin, China, has become the first person with type 1 diabetes to reverse the disease after receiving a transplant of reprogrammed stem cells. Less than three months after her operation, she began producing her own insulin, eliminating the need for external insulin shots, which had previously been essential for managing her condition.
What Makes This Breakthrough So Important?
This case marks the first time a type 1 diabetes patient has been treated using cells derived from her own body. Previously, insulin-producing islet transplants relied on donor cells, but the demand for donors far outweighs availability. Additionally, recipients typically need immunosuppressants to prevent rejection, posing long-term health risks.
The study, published in Cell, was led by Deng Hongkui, a cell biologist at Peking University. Deng's team extracted the woman's cells, reverted them to a pluripotent state, and reprogrammed them into 3D clusters of insulin-producing islet cells. They then transplanted the islet clusters into the woman’s abdominal muscles, a novel approach that allowed the cells to be monitored and potentially removed if needed.
How Reprogrammed Stem Cells Work
The reprogramming process used in this study, developed by Deng and his team, differs from earlier methods. Instead of triggering gene expression through proteins, the researchers used small molecules to control the transformation of the cells. This offers greater precision in crafting pluripotent stem cells, which can be molded into any tissue type, including the insulin-producing cells that type 1 diabetes patients lack.
Insulin Independence Achieved in Just Three Months
Following the procedure, the patient became insulin-independent within two and a half months, and her blood glucose levels remained stable for over 98% of each day — a feat rarely seen in the management of type 1 diabetes. A year later, her condition remains stable, and she reports enjoying food without limitations for the first time in years.
The research is part of a growing trend of using stem cells to treat diabetes. Earlier this year, a separate study in Shanghai successfully transplanted islets into the liver of a type 2 diabetes patient using reprogrammed stem cells. The man has also stopped taking insulin.
What's Next for Stem Cell Diabetes Treatment?
Although the results of the Tianjin case are groundbreaking, more trials are necessary to confirm their broad applicability. Currently, Deng's team is monitoring the results of two other patients who underwent the same treatment and will expand the trial to another 10–20 individuals soon. One concern is that the patient was already on immunosuppressants for a previous liver transplant, so it remains unclear whether the stem cells alone prevented tissue rejection.
Other groups, including Vertex Pharmaceuticals, are also developing stem cell-based islet transplants, but with donor cells. Their preliminary trials have shown similar results, with patients starting to produce insulin just months after the procedure. In the coming years, we may see expanded trials, with the hope that these treatments will become widely available.
Conclusion: A Promising Future for Diabetes Patients
While further research is necessary to confirm long-term results, the success of this stem cell transplant in reversing type 1 diabetes is a major leap forward. With the potential to eliminate the need for insulin injections and possibly avoid immune system rejection, stem cell therapies could offer a new standard of care for the millions affected by diabetes worldwide.
Read in full in Nature