Though ethical battles continue over stem cell research, exciting advances have been made regarding what can be thought of as the ‘diabetic stem cell,’ which doctors may one day be able to control and develop into cells that can produce insulin in a type 1 diabetic. Stem cells are unique, in that they can be induced to become cells that perform special functions. They can also renew themselves via cell division. Most people have heard about embryonic stem cells. But adult stem cells may be even more exciting, as their primary role is to repair and maintain the tissue from where they originated. They are rarer, but may be less likely to be rejected by the person’s immune system after transplantation, as the patient’s own stem cells could be generated into a specific cell type (e.g. a ‘diabetic stem cell’), and then reintroduced into the body. Stem cells can be used in many ways. But the most exciting is cell and tissue generation, which can be used in cell-based therapies. The possibility of “replacement cells” to treat diseases like spinal cord injury, Alzheimer’s, and type 1 diabetes, has enormous potential that would transform the medical industry. In type 1 diabetes, the person’s immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The future diabetic stem cell would be able to “become” a healthy, insulin-producing cell that could be transplanted into the diabetic, reversing the disease. But there are still technological hurdles to overcome.
Diabetic Stem Cell Therapy: Current Stem Cell Treatments Worldwide
Currently, there are stem cell treatments in different parts of the world, though the technology is still in its infancy. China is currently engaging in stem cell treatment for neurodegenerative and cardiovascular disorders, and in patients with cerebral palsy, Alzheimer’s, and brain injuries. The Ukraine is performing clinical trials of stem cell treatments for various diseases, including diabetes. But we are still a ways off yet from the diabetic stem cell.
Will We One Day Have A Diabetes Stem Cell Cure?
Researchers in the U.S. have recently discovered that stem cells from cord blood can be used to “re-educate” a type 1 diabetic’s T cells in the pancreas so it can function more normally and reduce the need for insulin [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109211827.htm]. This is one example of exciting technological advancements being made in the field of stem cell research. However, before cell-based therapy for diabetes can be a reality, researchers must create enough tissue from these stem cells, and be able to differentiate the cells into specific types. The cells must then be accepted by the patient’s immune system, and must integrate into the surrounding tissue. They must function appropriately throughout the person’s life without doing any harm. These are serious challenges, but the work is well underway, so we may one day see the creation of the diabetic stem cell, and the end of type 1 diabetes.
