A new treatment may soon be available to help tame misbehaving immune cells in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. A recent study shows that immune cells exposed to umbilical cord stem cells change their behaviour, potentially curing diabetes.
People with type 1 diabetes have rogue immune cells that can attack their pancreatic beta cells — the cells responsible for creating insulin. This causes inflammation and reduces the amount of insulin available to the body. Without sufficient insulin, the body cannot deliver glucose to cells and blood glucose levels increase. A misbehaving immune system also causes a great deal of cellular inflammation.
People with type 2 diabetes have cellular inflammation that leads to insulin resistance — where the body’s cells cannot use insulin correctly.
Scientist believe that the only long term cure for diabetes is to prevent the body’s immune system from mistakenly attacking pancreatic beta cells. Reprogramming immune cells might be able to achieve this goal.
The researchers began to look at techniques which could tame the rogue immune cells and have them behave normally. They began by taking blood from diabetes sufferers and separating out the immune system cells (lymphocytes) it contained. They exposed those lymphocytes to stem cells found in umbilical cord blood in an effort to “re-train” them. They then returned the lymphocytes to the patient’s body and monitored any changes.
The results of the four-year trial are overwhelmingly positive. They found that the treatment is safe and effective. When they sampled the patient’s blood a few months after treatment, they found it had higher level of C-peptide, which indicates insulin is working correctly in the body. Researchers hope the findings may help them find a long term cure for diabetes.
Source: New Diabetes Treatment Teaches Rogue Immune Cells to Behave
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