These new results have come forward taking the study forward in 2022. In that study, scientists first destroyed the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas in rats, due to which diabetes started appearing in them. After this he transplanted stem cells and islet cells and then controlled the sugar.
In this study it was found that type 1 diabetes was not seen in 19 out of 19 rats. At the same time, 9 out of 9 rats of another group suffering from type 1 diabetes for a long time were completely cured. Because the antibodies, drugs and low-dose radiation used are already part of clinical practice, researchers consider this strategy the next step toward human trials.
Cases of diabetes and organ transplant in the country
According to the results of a new modeling study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, an estimated 8.4 million people worldwide were living with type 1 diabetes in 2021. By the year 2040, this number is expected to increase from 1.35 crore to 1.74 crore.
According to the annual report of the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), the number of organ transplants recorded in a year in India has more than tripled in the last decade. Among these, kidney transplant has the highest share.
A total of 18,378 transplants were done in India in the year 2023. With this, the country ranks third in the world in organ transplants and second in cornea (eye) transplants.
According to this data, the number of kidney transplants in 2023 was 13,426. Liver transplant 4,491, heart transplant 221, lung transplant 197 and pancreas transplant 27 were recorded.
Beyond diabetes, researchers hope this therapy could also open new treatment avenues for non-cancer blood diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune diseases like lupus, and sickle cell anemia.
Are there challenges in this?
Although the results are encouraging, several hurdles remain before this strategy can be adopted on a large scale. Currently islet cells are available only from deceased donors. In such a situation, blood stem cells also have to be taken from the same donor. It is also not clear whether islet cells from a single donor will always be able to reverse type 1 diabetes.
Scientists are constantly trying to overcome these obstacles. In the lab, ways are being discovered to create islet cells in large quantities from human pluripotent stem cells or to increase their lifespan and capacity after transplant.
Kim, director of the Stanford Diabetes Research Center and the Northern California Breakthrough T1D Center of Excellence, is the senior author of this study. This research was published online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation on 18 November. Graduate and medical student Preksha Bhagchandani is the lead author of this study.
