A cure for type 1 diabetes could be on the way after scientists in the US discovered a way to "kick-start" the pancreas – reducing the need for daily insulin jabs .
A team of researches from the University of Illinois used stem cells found in the umbilical cord to "re-educate" a diabetic’s immune "T-cells", which can counteract mutant or damaged cells .
This restarted the pancreas, reducing the need for insulin by up to 38 per cent in just 12 weeks, the findings published in the BMC Medicine journal showed.
Study leader Dr Yong Zhao said the research was "a big step towards a cure" for type 1 diabetes .
Richard Elliott, research communications officer at charity group Diabetes UK, said: "Although the research involved only 15 participants and is still at a relatively early stage, it is innovative and appeared to offer improvements in the control of blood glucose, even in those with longstanding Type 1 diabetes ."
"We will be interested to see the results of further studies with larger numbers of participants so that the value of this approach for people with diabetes can be determined."
Type 1 diabetes is triggered when the body’s immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, causing the build-up of glucose in the blood.
Study Raises Hope Of Cure For Type 1 Diabetes
Wed, 11 Jan 2012
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