Stem cell transplants may free type I diabetics of the need for insulin injections, according to a small study in which 20 of 23 patients became insulin-free for up to four years. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, involvedinjecting people with stem cells made from their bone marrow cells [Reuters]. Twelve of the patients went for an average of 31 months with no insulin injections. Eight other study participants experienced “transient” insulin independence, meaning they had to start taking insulin again at lower levels [U.S. News and World Report].
The treatment was designed for patients newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, a condition that usually develops in childhood and occurs when the immune system goes haywire and starts attacking itself, destroying insulin-producing cells in the pancreas needed to control blood sugar [Reuters]. These beta cells are produced in a part of the pancreas called the ...
