Stem Cell Research and T1 Diabetes
An interesting article has recently been published (30/11/2021) by USA Today that discussed the potential treatment for Type 1 Diabetes through stem cell therapy. A clinical trial, albeit it on one patient, that was diagnosed with T1D over 40 years ago, centred around the patient receiving an infusion of treatments, stem cell derived, named Vx-880 and which, according to Vertex, resulted in positive results 90 days after the treatment/infusion.
The patient had been dependent upon insulin injections to manage his blood sugar levels as do millions of T1D diagnosed people around the world. In the UK, 8% of those living with diabetes are T1 diabetics (source – Diabetes.or.uk) and that’s approximately 400,000 people. In the USA there are 1.6 million people living with T1 (source JDRF.org).
Stem cell research has not, of course, been a popular type of research amongst some people and human rights groups but has led to some great advancements in sciences since its use – such as the use in heart sciences (making new heart muscles | beating heart cells source British Heart Foundation).
Further details of the results and more wider testing of the treatment will be interesting and, of course, potentially life changing for may as it could mean that self-injecting could be replaced with replacement cells which can, according to scientists, help the patient’s own body natural make their own insulin.
Well Heeled looks forward to continued trials as there is obviously still much work to be done and explored.
