Stem Cell Therapy Against Diabetes: A Breakthrough!

Filed in archive Developments , Notable , Research , Treatment on February 20, 2008

I just saw this report at the New York Times entitled: Stem Cell Therapy Controls Diabetes in Mice. You know I have such high hopes for stem cell research, especially for the treatment and control of diabetes.




According to the said report, the team from the biotechnology company Novocell and the University of Miami researchers was able to make stem cells into insulin-producing cells in mice that kept kept blood sugar at bay.

"For those who say there is not much evidence that embryonic stem cells can cure diabetes, there you go," said Dr. Camillo Ricordi, director of the diabetes research institute at the University of Miami, who was not involved in the research.

Still, a small number of the mice developed tumors, and some experts said the cells might not be well-characterized enough for use in people. In any event, Novocell said it would be several years before any human tests could begin.

Doctors are already experimenting with transplants of insulin-producing islet cells from cadavers for patients with Type 1 diabetes, a disease that destroys a person's own islet cells. In some cases, the transplant recipients have not needed daily injections of insulin, at least for a while.

But there are too few donors to provide cell replacement to more than a small percentage of diabetics. Embryonic stem cells, which can potentially be turned into any type of cell in the body, could be a source of islet cells.

What do you think? I really think that this is very, very promising. Let us wait and see; and also hope that this does not blow into pieces that only biotech companies will benefit from. The diabetics of the world you benefit most of all. I hope!

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