Diabetes, known for causing serious health problems like loss of sight, kidney issues, heart attacks, and strokes, is becoming more common. It’s expected that around 783 million people will have diabetes by 2045, making it a major health crisis globally.
Right now, there isn’t a cure for diabetes. Treatments mainly help with the symptoms, but people with diabetes often deal with other health problems over time.
Diabetes messes with how the body uses insulin, which is needed to use sugar from food. This leads to too much sugar in the blood. There are two main types of diabetes, and they happen for different reasons.
Type 1 diabetes happens when the body’s immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. On the other hand, in type 2 diabetes, the body doesn’t respond well to insulin, making it less effective.
Biotech companies are working hard to find new ways to treat diabetes, and they’re really hoping to find a cure. This article looks at the latest research and how it could change diabetes treatment.
Treating Type 1 Diabetes: Trying to Find a Cure with Cell Therapy
Cell therapy is a big hope for curing diabetes, especially type 1 diabetes. The idea is to replace the cells that make insulin, which could help get insulin levels back to normal and maybe even cure the disease.
However, early efforts to put new pancreatic cells in patients didn’t work too well. The body’s immune system often attacked the new cells, and there weren’t enough donors for the cells.
But there’s some good news. In 2016, the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) shared that a patient who got their new mini-pancreas treatment didn’t need insulin shots anymore. DRI’s treatment works like a real pancreas, checking blood sugar levels and releasing insulin as needed.
