A 25-year-old woman with a complex medical history, including two liver transplants and type 1 diabetes, was successfully treated with a groundbreaking stem cell therapy at Tianjin First Central Hospital. This treatment, a world-first, used induced pluripotent stem cells to regenerate islet cells, allowing her to stop insulin therapy within a year.
Type 1 diabetes, prevalent among children and adolescents, can lead to severe complications if untreated. Traditional islet transplantation is limited by a shortage of donors, but the new therapy using the patient’s own cells could be a game-changer.
The patient, who had poor blood sugar control and severe hypoglycemic episodes, underwent an autologous stem cell islet transplantation. This procedure was developed by Professor Deng Hongkui, who recently won a prestigious science award for his work on stem cells.
The treatment involved injecting differentiated islets under ultrasound guidance and using induction therapy to prevent rejection. Within weeks, the patient’s insulin needs decreased, and she became insulin-independent after 75 days, with stable effects for over a year.
The study suggests the potential for further clinical studies on this stem cell therapy for type 1 diabetes. While challenges like immune rejection and cancer risks remain, this treatment offers hope for a new cure for diabetes patients reliant on insulin injections.
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