Posted on 03/07/2013 3:15:32 PM PST by neverdem
Diabetes is a detrimental disease. In order to combat the illness, University of British Columbia (UBC) researchers conducted a study with an industry partner and discovered that stem cells can reverse Type 1 diabetes in mice.
The discovery leads the way for the development of innovative treatments of diabetes, which is caused by deficient production of insulin by the pancreas. Insulin allows glucose to be held by the body’s muscle, fat, and liver; in turn, it’s used as fuel for the body. Blindness, heart attack, kidney failure, nerve damage, and stroke are possible consequences of low insulin production. The research by the UBC investigators addressed these various issues. The study was led by Timothy Kieffer, a professor in the Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, as well as scientists from BetaLogics, the New Jersey-based division of Janssen Research & Development, LLC.
“We are very excited by these findings, but additional research is needed before this approach can be tested clinically in humans,” remarked Kieffer, a member of UBC’s Life Sciences Institute, in a prepared statement.
The team of investigators is the first to demonstrate that human stem cell transplants can bring back insulin production and reverse diabetes in mice. They were able to re-create the “feedback loop” that allows insulin levels to automatically increase or decrease based on blood glucose levels. The results from their projects was recently published online on the website of the journal Diabetes.
Following the stem cell transplant, the diabetes mice were slowly taken off insulin, a procedure which was to mirror human clinical condition. Even if they were given copious amounts of sugar, the mice were able to continue healthy blood sugar levels three to four months later. The transplanted cells that were removed from the mice many months after the experiments also showed signs of normal insulin-producing pancreatic cells.
“Essentially, the mice were cured of their diabetes by placing the body back in charge of regulated insulin production as it is in healthy, non-diabetics,” Kieffer told the Vancouver Sun. “It took about four to five months for the [stem] cells to become functional in our experiments and the mice were able to maintain good blood glucose levels even when fed a high-glucose diet,” said Kieffer, a UBC professor in the department of cellular and physiological sciences.
Research still needs to be done to finalize details of the approach for diabetes treatment.
“The studies were performed in diabetic mice that lacked a properly functioning immune system that would otherwise have rejected the cells. We now need to identify a suitable way of protecting the cells from immune attack so that the transplant can ultimately be performed in the absence of any immunosuppression,” explained Kieffer in the statement.
According to the Vancouver Sun, the team of scientists received at least $500,000 in grant funding. Organizations that supported the research include the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Stem Cell Network of Canada, Stem Cell Technologies of Vancouver, the JDRF, and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.
It's proof of principle, but using immunosuppressants forever isn't very desirable. Maybe that's why the word embryonic didn't appear in the article.
Embryonic or Adult mouse stem cells?
Noticed that. One would think adult stem cells would work as well or better.
On another note, one would think that elements of this treatment might be applicable to treating kidney disease as well.
BUMP
Not sure I agree. T1 cause is autoimmune killing off the islet cells. Even if patient's own adult stem cells are used, after conversion to islet cells they would also be susceptible to a new autoimmune attack without continued immunosuppressant use.
I wonder if this is a communicable disease in this forum? Do you have a congenital aversion to reading what's written in comment# 1? The answer is right there.
So until the autoimmune issue is resolved, you have to decide whether to remain dependent on exogenous insulin or take the risks involved by compromising your immune system. I wouldn't take a transplant unless it was the last resort.
I thought they had already created a semi-permeable membrane that would encapsulate the new islet cells and allow glucose and insulin to flow back and forth while barring immune cells from entering.
FReepmail me if you want on or off my stem cell/regenerative medicine ping list.
Regenerative medicine has some serious problems with autoimmune diseases.
Do you have a link? Maybe antibodies, which are molecules, can enter. Insulin is not a small molecule.
We need encapsulated islet cells.
Then we can use anything... human... pig... stem cells that have been altered to produce insulin...
ANYTHING. The immune response would be a moot point.
Go here:
Check out the forum.
The tech is here. It’s done. It’s been implanted in humans and it works.
But NOBODY WILL FUND IT.
The biggest drawback is that the ONLY source of islet cells is from a rare pig that was bred on an obscure island and is completely free of all disease.
I don’t see why we can’t use cadaver islets. I don’t see why the researchers who’ve managed to tease adult stem cells into islet cells can’t be married to this technology.
We’ve got the cure for T-1 diabetes in human hands! But we can’t get anyone to fund it all and put it together!
(As a mom of a T-1, this kills me! I’m going to bury my only son before I see this disease tackled.)
It's proof of principle, but using immunosuppressants forever isn't very desirable. Maybe that's why the word embryonic didn't appear in the article.
This does not explicitly say whether it was embryonic, and without knowing much about the implications of immunosuppressants being taken forever, or even what they are, I found it difficult to parse your meaning and infer whether you meant it was or was not embryonic or whether or not you knew for certain or were speculating on likelihoods.
Immunosuppressants compromise your immune system so you can accept transplants. If you read the link in comment# 1, it said: "Maturation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell–Derived Pancreatic Progenitors Into Functional Islets Capable of Treating Pre-existing Diabetes in Mice."
I don’t know much about this so pardon my ignorance and/or stupid questions.
I know that cancer research is focusing on what it is that turns off cell reproduction, which is one of the big problems with the use of embryonic stem cells - a problem that adult stem cells don’t have. Do you know if research is being done to figure out what makes the diabetic autoimmune system attack islet cells?
I had read a couple years ago that research involving adult stem cells was very close to curing diabetes (can’t remember whether it was type 1, type 2, or both). It makes me wonder if research is being done on how to replace cells that are responsible for the autoimmune system’s attack on islet cells.
Anybody know anything about that?
My father was Type I diabetes. Always felt that it was an immune response. Always thought it might be able to reverse early on.
I really don’t know. Currently I am in Chemo fighting Stage 4 cancer, so this research is kinda important to me.
Wow, I can only imagine how important the research is to you. I wish there were answers and solutions right now, wish there was something we could do to help. You’ll be in my thoughts and prayers.
Oh goodness, you are right then I caught this horrible disease which makes me incapable of reading url string text as if it were part of a discussion..and I caught it from being around FR. Oh we are not worthy, lol.
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