Scientists in Shanghai achieved a historic breakthrough after successfully eliminating a long-term patient’s type 2 diabetes through a pioneering cell therapy treatment.
Key points:
- The 59-year-old patient of 25 years received a transplant of pancreatic cells derived from his own stem cells in 2021. He is now insulin independent.
- This marks the world’s first successful use of stem cell-derived islet transplantation to cure diabetes.
- The achievement, published on Cell Discovery on April 30, comes after over a decade of research at Shanghai Changzheng Hospital.
The details:
- Diabetes is a major health threat, affecting 422 million people worldwide. While there is still no known cure for diabetes, methods of management include insulin injections and other medications.
- The patient reportedly suffered a significant decline in pancreatic islet function, which regulates blood sugar, after undergoing a kidney transplant in 2017. Since then, he had been dependent on daily multiple insulin injections.
- In July 2021, a team at the hospital led by researcher Yin Hao used the patient’s own blood cells to create stem cells, which were then converted into pancreatic islet cells.
- The transplant successfully eliminated the patient’s need for external insulin within 11 weeks. Oral medication was also gradually reduced and ultimately discontinued a year later.
- Follow-up exams showed restored pancreatic function and normal kidney function, suggesting that the patient has been cured.
What’s next:
- In 2023, the FDA approved a similar cell therapy treatment by a Chicago-based startup for type 1 diabetes.
- The Chinese researchers say more research is needed to confirm the long-term efficacy and broaden applicability of this treatment.
