ON THE CUTTING EDGE: Autologous Stem Cell Transfusions May Cure Type 1 Diabetes
Young patients with newly diagnosed type 1 (juvenile) diabetes given transfusions of stem cells from their own blood were able to discontinue the daily insulin shots needed to control blood-sugar levels, according to the results of a landmark clinical trial published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The breakthrough therapy restored the ability of 13 of the 15 study participants to produce the hormone naturally, and they were able to forego insulin injections up to three years after stopping treatment. Other studies have demonstrated that autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can benefit people with auto-immune diseases other than type 1 diabetes, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and lupus.
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