Is a cure for type 1 diabetes 'within reach'?

Conclusion This is promising early-stage research into the possible generation of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells from stem cells in a laboratory. The researchers demonstrated that they were able to successfully produce large numbers of functioning stem cell-derived cells that looked structurally similar to normal beta cells and produced insulin in response to glucose in the same way. The successful function of these cells was demonstrated both in the laboratory and when transplanted into mice, including mice genetically engineered to have diabetes. There is currently no "cure" for type 1 diabetes and no way to replace these destroyed cells. This stem cell research, which holds promise for a possible generation of replacement pancreatic cells, is therefore encouraging. However, research is still in the very early stages, with studies only having been carried out on a small number of live mice. Much further development is needed to see whether it could be possible to perform human trials to see whether stem cell-derived pancreatic cells could function normally in people with type 1 diabetes. Various questions still need to be answered, including whether the transplanted cells could also be targeted by the body's immune system. Overall, the research is promising, but it is too early to know whether there could one day be a complete "cure" for type 1 diabetes. Analysis by Bazian. Edited by NHS Choices. Follow Behind the Headlines on Twitter....
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Diabetes Genetics/stem cells Source Type: news