Stem Cell Treatment for Diabetes Type 1

Stem cells are present in every tissue in the body. They can reproduce to repair or replace damaged cells particular to a specific part of the body. They are also capable of producing identical cells or growing into different types of cells. The beta cells in type 1 diabetics are damaged or destroyed when the immune system attacks. The beta cells carry insulin to the organs in the body to be used as energy when needed. New research is being conducted using stem cells to find a cure for type 1 diabetes and prevent further complications caused by it.

• Stem cell research is continuing in the quest for a cure for type 1 diabetes.

Types of Cells

• When stem cells divide, they create daughter cells that can be identical, or specific, like skin cells, blood cells, bones or muscle tissue. Embryonic stem cells are adaptable and hold the most promise of repairing or restoring damaged or diseased organs and tissue. Amniotic fluid has also been found to contain stem cells capable of developing into other types of cells. Adult stem cells can create similar and unrelated types of stem cells, but few can be harvested from adult tissue. Umbilical cords, placentas and children also have adult stem cells.

Pursuing a Cure

• Research into stem cells holds the most promising possibility for a diabetes cure. Embryonic stem cells are actively being used in research by Geron Corp. The bio-tech company hopes to prove that embryonic stem cells can successfully replace the beta cells in the pancreas.

Clinical Trial

• The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that in a clinical trial there was little or no insulin dependence after extracting stem cells from the blood of type 1 participants, exposing them to chemotherapy to suppress the immune system and then replanting their stem cells.

Research

• There is no cure for type 1 diabetes, but researchers are conducting studies that might one day lead to a discovery. Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center are searching to see what genes need to be activated or inactivated to allow stem cells to create viable beta cells. Using blood-forming stem cells, they are looking for new ways to prevent the autoimmune system from attacking the beta cell, and controlling immune tolerance for successful islet transplantation.

Considerations

• A question of ethics in the public forum briefly halted stem cell research. Because embryonic stem cells are more versatile and multiply faster, they are the preferred stem cells. Harvesting embryonic stem cells destroys the embryos; some say that is taking a life. Cloning, although only possible in animals, poses a host of other ethical questions.