The first-of-its-kind study, led by a team of researchers from Canada’s University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), showed that a small implant infused with stem cells could help the body produce insulin on its own.
“THE HOPE THAT NEVER EXISTED BEFORE”
Speaking to CTV about the study, Vancouver General Hospital endocrinologist Dr. “There is now hope for people with Type 1 diabetes that never existed before,” said David Thompson.
Stating that as a result of the study, a 25-cent sized device was placed under the abdominal skin of fifteen patients with Type 1 diabetes, Dr. “The device contains millions of cells that are produced from a single lab-grown stem cell line and are responsible for making insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar,” Thompson said.
The study, also published in the latest issue of the scientific journal Cell Stem Cell, used C-peptide, an amino acid chain released into the blood as a byproduct of insulin formation, to measure the amount of insulin released by cells in the implant.
Reminding that the injected insulins used by diabetics do not produce C-peptide, according to the findings of the study, it was stated that the C-peptide levels of the participants increased after eating and showed evidence that they naturally produced insulin.
The patients in the study also spent 13 percent more time in the target blood sugar range, and some were able to reduce the amount of insulin they injected, thanks to the implant.
“A WONDERFUL STEP”
Director of the Diabetes Clinical Research Unit at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Dr. “We’re not at the stage where this is ready for comprehensive treatment and for everyone with diabetes. But the idea of introducing insulin-producing cells into a person with Type 1 diabetes and having those cells produce some insulin and survive for a year is a great step forward,” said Bruce Perkins. said.
Source: AA