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Cure for Type 1 diabetes imminent

Sonic

Newbie
Messages
4
Location
Bucks, UK
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
A rather compelling article following a breakthrough in the research by Harvard professor Doug Melton.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/...ent-after-Harvard-stem-cell-breakthrough.html

A cure for diabetes could be imminent after scientists discovered how to make huge quantities of insulin-producing cells, in a breakthrough hailed as significant as antibiotics.

Harvard University has, for the first time, managed to manufacture the millions of beta cells required for transplantation.

It could mean the end of daily insulin injections for the 400,000 people in Britain living with Type 1 diabetes.

And it marks the culmination of 23-years of research for Harvard professor Doug Melton who has been trying to find a cure for the disease since his son Sam was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a baby.

“We are now just one pre-clinical step away from the finish line,” said Prof Melton.

Asked about his children’s reaction he said: "I think like all kids, they always assumed that if I said I'd do this, I'd do it,

"It was gratifying to know that we can do something that we always thought was possible.”

The stem cell-derived beta cells are presently undergoing trials in animal models, including non-human primates, where they are still producing insulin after several months, Prof Melton said.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition that causes the pancreas to stop producing insulin - the hormone that regulates blood glucose levels.

If the amount of glucose in the blood is too high it can seriously damage the body's organs over time.

While diabetics can keep their glucose levels under general control by injecting insulin, that does not provide the fine tuning necessary to properly control metabolism, which can lead to devastating complications such as blindness or loss of limbs.

Around 10 per cent of all diabetes is Type 1, but it is the most common type of childhood diabetes. 29,000 youngsters suffer in Britain.

The team at Harvard used embryonic stem cells to produce human insulin-producing cells equivalent in almost every way to normally functioning cells in vast quantities.

Chris Mason, Professor of Regenerative Medicine, University College London, said it was ‘potentially a major medical breakthrough.’

“If this scalable technology is proven to work in both the clinic and in the manufacturing facility, the impact on the treatment of diabetes will be a medical game-changer on a par with antibiotics and bacterial infections,” he said.

Professor Anthony Hollander, Head of Institute of Integrative Biology at the University of Liverpool, added:“This is very exciting fundamental research that solves a major roadblock in the development of a stem cell treatment for diabetes.

“The study provides a very elegant and convincing method for generating functional insulin-producing cells in large numbers.”

Professor Mark Dunne, at Manchester University, added: Overall this is an important advance for the field of diabetes and people with Type 1 diabetes.”

Professor Elaine Fuchs, of Rockefeller University, described the findings as "one of the most important advances to date in the stem cell field".

"For decades, researchers have tried to generate human pancreatic beta cells that could be cultured and passaged long term under conditions where they produce insulin.”

A report on the work is published in the journal Cell.
 
If this was a true breakthrough, it would not be only reported by a science journalist at the Telegraph but make headlines all over the world.

So I won't hold my breath here but only say hmm ...

annelise
 
I haven't read the journal article yet. I'll try and find it later.
Producing sufficient working cells is absolutely a breakthough Sadly it is only part of the problem. We already know that the results of transplanting donor cells are not a cure.
Here is a summary of the steps needed according to another researcher in the field (slides from Univ. Copenhagen Global Diabetes Mooc_
stem cell.JPG
So not only do you have to produce the stem cells, you either have to encapsulate them to prevent the autoimmune attack or you have to find another way to prevent it entirely. You then have to test on non primates/ test on large mammals (pigs) test on primates and then on humans. Finallly you have to be able to create a manufacturing facility that can reliably turn out the quantities needed.
So if this guy has sucessfully managed the first part we need to hang out the flags, it's important.
(if nothing else they may be able to be used as donor cells are at the moment . These certainly alleviate the problems with a proportion of people with very brittle diabetes even if most have to go back to taking some insulin sooner or later.)
Cure... well those other bridges have to be crossed/
 
Another article here - http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...ing-cells-in-medical-gamechanger-9785410.html

Indeed as you clearly show there are other hurdles, but i'd always believed the mass production of beta cells to be the most difficult and pivitol step in effectively finding a cure. In the 15 years i've followed research this is probably the most promising announcement i've seen.

The independent article talks about "producing “scalable” quantities of beta pancreatic cells from stem cells in industrial-sized bioreactors and then transplant them into a patient within an implant to protect them from immune attack."

Obviously more hoops to jump through, but i shall live in hope and i thought this announcement was worth sharing.
 
If this was a true breakthrough, it would not be only reported by a science journalist at the Telegraph but make headlines all over the world.

So I won't hold my breath here but only say hmm ...

annelise
It was on the morning TV news today
 
I have been reading (admittedly newspaper articles only not medical journals) that they are already encapsulated and so this hurdle has been overcome as you won't need any immune suppressant drugs. I am a little unclear as to whether this is a permanent fix (i.e. one treatment and then walk away cured) or an ongoing thing which may require treatment every few months etc.

I have always been cautious in getting too excited about cures as from time to time you get stories like this popping up which eventually amount to nothing. However this does seem to be a bit different and I am getting very excited about this. Maybe just a few more years and ....well I can dream!
 
I haven't read the journal article yet. I'll try and find it later.
Producing sufficient working cells is absolutely a breakthough Sadly it is only part of the problem. We already know that the results of transplanting donor cells are not a cure.
Here is a summary of the steps needed according to another researcher in the field (slides from Univ. Copenhagen Global Diabetes Mooc_
View attachment 7375
So not only do you have to produce the stem cells, you either have to encapsulate them to prevent the autoimmune attack or you have to find another way to prevent it entirely. You then have to test on non primates/ test on large mammals (pigs) test on primates and then on humans. Finallly you have to be able to create a manufacturing facility that can reliably turn out the quantities needed.
So if this guy has sucessfully managed the first part we need to hang out the flags, it's important.
(if nothing else they may be able to be used as donor cells are at the moment . These certainly alleviate the problems with a proportion of people with very brittle diabetes even if most have to go back to taking some insulin sooner or later.)
Cure... well those other bridges have to be crossed/


Agree with you Phoenix.
I read the paper (Cell, 159, 428-439, October 9, 2014) , the work is very promising, studies on mice seem encouraging, especially on morbidity after 8 weeks.

However, the use of the word "imminent" by the media is exceptionally misleading, imminent in terms of science research (of this nature) will be quite a number of years off.


I wonder if this type of media reporting will make some T2's think "great no need to protect my remaining beta cells". Not that this forum users would think that of course!
 
There is almost a truth in diabetic treatment breakthroughs that the major ones are always 10 years away. This, whilst exciting, seems to be as ever 10 years away.

That's not so bad; cold fusion is always 20 years away...

Best

Dillinger
 
So the two main obsticles now are:

1. Your body attacking the new beta cells like it as done in the past to make you type 1 diabetic.

Ans:

Encapsulation of beta cells.

2. Rejection of donor cell as they are foreign bodies from another human.

Ans:

Turn your own cells into new beta cells from other cells from your own body, this now can be done. (Not from someone else).

The above is in very simplistic terms as people get confused between the two above!

BTW....Viacyte will be the first new treatment if I put a bet on it!
 
I've been waiting for over 50 years for something like this but I don't think I will see this in my lifetime,but possibly a major step forward,the jury is still out, i hope it works out.
 
Another article here - http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...ing-cells-in-medical-gamechanger-9785410.html

Indeed as you clearly show there are other hurdles, but i'd always believed the mass production of beta cells to be the most difficult and pivitol step in effectively finding a cure. In the 15 years i've followed research this is probably the most promising announcement i've seen.

The independent article talks about "producing “scalable” quantities of beta pancreatic cells from stem cells in industrial-sized bioreactors and then transplant them into a patient within an implant to protect them from immune attack."

Obviously more hoops to jump through, but i shall live in hope and i thought this announcement was worth sharing.

I always think that it will happen one day, thanks for sharing :)

RRB
 
I found this really interesting and hope that it develops further without taking years and years. As a parent of a newly diagnosed type 1 8 year old I would do anything to aid helping finding a "cure" and let me little one have a normal life. Not sure if normal is the right word so to speak. I have seen the worst cases of diabetes and it's scary to think that could be my child in years to come. So I prey that research develops fast and safe
 
It may still be a way off, but researchers are talking of treating 'brittles' first, so at least treatment is being discussed.....!!!
 
Had chat with GP folks about this.... This morning.

Will be great if patients do not have to have anti rejection drugs (with possible side effects) for rest of their lives was the concensus from my HCP's.
 
I just read this yesterday. It sounds promising. I wonder how the cells know how much insulin to release though. Did it mention that?
 
Don't know really, my Aunty was one of first to have a liver transplant.. As a Child I remember her drugs to stop rejection. Hope this aspect improves too, as that to me is a concern.
 
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