Stem cell therapy for diabetes is among several experimental treatments being researched for diabetes. Although many scientists and researchers believe there is hope when it comes for stem cell therapy for diabetes, it still has not led them to a cure for the disease. However, the treatment has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities and given hope to the millions of people around the world who have the disease. Besides causing concern for blood glucose levels, diabetes can cause a multitude of problems in those who have it, including circulation and eye ailments. Many hope stem cell therapy for diabetes will eventually provide a cure.
Stem cells are unique from regular cells because they have the potential to develop into other types of cells. When it comes to diabetes, the injection of stem cells can be beneficial because they can treat damage that is occurring as a result of the disease. Stem cells can transform into the necessary cell type in order to replace damaged cells. The symptoms of diabetes can be controlled through diet, exercise and medication such as insulin. Stem cell therapy for diabetes is another option that is being explored because they are thought to have many qualities that can benefit a number of different health issues.
What Makes the Possibility of Stem Cell Therapy for Diabetes Possible?
Stem cells can come from a few different sources, and this is important to consider when it comes to stem cell therapy for diabetes. Because there is a lot of research that still needs to be done in this area, scientists believe the different sources that stem cells can be gathered from may play a role in their effectiveness to treat diseases. Embryonic stem cells could be transplanted into a diabetes patient with the assumed potential to mature and produce insulin, a hormone diabetes patients do not produce enough of. Another place to obtain stem cells for diabetes stem cell therapy is to gather them from a patient’s own body. These are often referred to as “adult stem cells.” Some researchers believe it could be possible to cause stem cells in a diabetic patient’s pancreas to make new beta cells. However, for this to be possible the stem cells would need to be located in the pancreas, which has proven to be a challenging task.
Scientists are currently investigating ways to ensure stem cells thrive after they are transplanted into a patient. This presents one of the biggest challenges when it comes to stem cell therapy for diabetes, as well as overcoming how to stop the immune system from destroying transplanted stem cells without using harmful immune suppressing drugs that could have adverse effects on patients with diabetes. Only time will tell if stem cell therapy in diabetes will become the miracle cure for the disease that so many hope for.
