Last Updated on May 4, 2024
New results from a research study could provide hopes of a cure for type 1 diabetes. For years, scientists have been studying the causes and effects that type 1 diabetes has on the body and how they can counter these workings to reverse the impact of diabetes. The new research hopes to be a future cure for the incurable disease of type 1 diabetes.
A study that was originally released in the science journal Nature and Nature Biotechnology has shown promising results for anyone diagnosed with type 1. For years, researchers have been able to implant insulin into the body, but for people with type 1 diabetes this doesn’t help if they body is going to destroy the new insulin anyway. Research has shown that type 1 is an autoimmune disease that attacks the beta cells that produce insulin inside of the body.
Researchers from a partnership between MIT and Harvard might have found a way to protect the insulin cells from being attacked inside of the body. The have developed an implantable device inside the body that will act as a shield for the beta cells, which will allow them to produce insulin.
This research group has already made significant advancements for the diabetes community. They have also used stem cell research to create beta cells in large quantities. They have implanted those beta cells along with their new implanted device into diabetes-diagnosed mice. The cells began to produce insulin inside of the mice to normalize glucose levels. This virtually “cures” them of diabetes for six months. The scientists are hoping to duplicate these results in humans.
Many experts surrounding the study are excited about the results from the research. B.D. Colen, a staff writer for the Harvard Gazette, stated that the next step for the research work is to bring the concept to preliminary clinical trials. Colen went on to say that finding an effective way to shield the beta cells could reduce complications of diabetes or even cure it.
While this research is still in the beginning stages, it could have enormous impacts on the diabetes community and the search for a cure. Even if this implant isn’t a “cure” it could substantially reduce people with type 1 diabetes reliance on daily insulin. It could mean only having to receive insulin injections once every several months or even only once a year. This would make living with type 1 diabetes a bit more easier.
While type 1 diabetes is less common than type 2, type 1 diabetes impacts an estimated 1.25 million Americans and another 400,000 people in the United Kingdom. People with type 1 diabetes are dependent on insulin to maintain healthy glucose levels. The disease can costs families hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime, as well as constant attention and care. Type 1 diabetes can bring along several health complications. Type 1 diabetes can potentially lead to blindness, amputations, or heart disease related to the disease. Finding a cure for the disease will drastically improve countless lives of people across the world.
Even if the new technique doesn’t work in the clinical trials, the information we have learned from the study is invaluable. Each new piece of knowledge is another step towards curing the disease that is impacting millions of lives everywhere. Each research study is another step towards ending the pumps, injections, and finger pricking.
