Diabetes stem cell research breakthrough

A new treatment that uses stem-cell transplant procedures could have a major impact on the control of diabetes . A pioneering study indicates that patients could live for up to three years without having to inject insulin, following stem-cell treatment.
The challenge comes in translating the procedure onto a widespread scale, and convincing authorities that stem-cell treatments really could bring hope to type 1 diabetics .
The study, although it is small scale, could have a seismic impact on the future of diabetes. An expert at the Diabetes Research Institute at Miami University, Dr. Jay Skyler, reportedly commented that: “Research in this field is likely to explode in the next few years. As further studies confirm and build on the results of this study, the time may be coming for starting to reverse and prevent type 1 ­diabetes.”
The findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Associatio, and display how 15 volunteers aged between 14 and 31 successfully responded to the treatment. The news may cause excitement amongst the diabetic community and healthcare professionals.
Other experts in the UK raised their doubts about the research however, saying that it failed to use a ‘control sample’ and could give false hope.