Breakthrough: Stem cell therapy successfully CURED diabetes in 59-year-old patient, doctors say

For the first time in the world, Chinese doctors report that stem cell therapy has successfully cured a man’s diabetes.

The treatment created artificial pancreatic cells that produce insulin and regulate blood sugar levels.

The patient cured by stem cell therapy is a 59-year-old man who has had type 2 diabetes for 25 years and is facing serious risks.

Despite a kidney transplant in 2017, he lost much of his pancreatic islet function, requiring multiple daily insulin injections to prevent a diabetic coma.

“He was at great risk of serious diabetes complications,” said Yin Hao, a leading researcher at Shanghai Changzheng Hospital”

The patient received a groundbreaking cell transplant in 2021.

After only eleven weeks, he stopped needing insulin injections, and his oral medication for controlling blood sugar was gradually reduced and then stopped entirely within a year.

The leading researcher explained that follow-up checkups confirmed the patient’s pancreas islet function was fully restored.

The patient has been off insulin entirely for 33 months.

Doctors and researchers from multiple institutions in Shanghai, such as Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, the Centre for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science (a part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences), and Renji Hospital, achieved a notable medical breakthrough.

Their findings were published in the journal Cell Discovery on April 30th.

No one has been cured of diabetes yet, but doctors can put it into remission, the Daily Mail noted.

Patients must follow a strict diet and exercise to prevent blood sugar problems from returning.

However, the case in China suggests that it might be possible to naturally control blood sugar without lifestyle changes.

Versatile stem cells were used for the treatment. They can turn into any type of cell the body needs.

Under specific conditions, stem cells can become brain, muscle, kidney, or pancreas tissue.

This treatment employed a new chemical combination to convert the patient’s stem cells into pancreas cells.

These cells produce insulin, which helps the body use sugar from food for energy.

However, in diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin to control blood sugar.

This imbalance can cause nerve damage, kidney issues, heart disease, and more.

Researchers believe that by implanting new lab-grown cells capable of producing insulin, patients may regain the ability to produce their insulin.

This was observed in the Chinese patient.

“I think this study represents an important advance in the field of cell therapy for diabetes,” said Timothy Kieffer, a professor of cellular and physiological sciences at the University of British Columbia in Canada, who was not involved with the research.

Though promising, further research is required before this discovery can be widely implemented.

Scientists need to conduct more patient testing and find ways to scale up their operations.

Currently, the process of turning blank ‘seed cells’ into functioning pancreas cells is complex, time-consuming, and expensive, necessitating simplification for practicality.

Meanwhile, this treatment might only benefit type 2 diabetes, the more common type.

For those with type 1 diabetes, whose immune system attacks the pancreas, it could be more difficult.

The study authors noted that their immune system might reject the newly implanted cells.

Despite numerous challenges, this advancement could significantly benefit the 38.4 million Americans with diabetes and the 97.6 million at risk.

Diabetes ranks as the eighth leading cause of death in the U.S.

Published in Cell Discovery, the paper reflects decades of global research.

Scientists have focused on converting stem cells into islet cells and effectively introducing them into the body.

“Our technology has matured and it has pushed boundaries in the field of regenerative medicine for the treatment of diabetes,” said Yin Hao.

Kieffer mentioned that if this cell therapy method succeeds, it could relieve patients from the constant need for medications, boost health and well-being, and cut down healthcare costs.

However, he emphasized the necessity for further studies involving more patients, building

Watch Dr. Ashleigh Boyd as she discusses the potential of stem cell therapy research for developing new treatments for diabetes, offering hope for patients: