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Can Type 1 Diabetes be Cured Permanently?

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Can Type 1 Diabetes be Cured Permanently?

When someone is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, one of the first questions they have is whether or not there is a cure for type 1 diabetes. While type 1 diabetes can be controlled with insulin, dietary modifications, and exercise, there is presently no cure for the disease. Researchers are currently focusing on therapies to reverse type 1 diabetes so that people with the condition might maintain healthy lives without taking medication.



Recent progress in finding a cure for type 1 diabetes

Existing research on type 1 diabetes falls into three broad groups, according to a study from 2021.


  • Insulin substitution: Regular insulin replacement using injections or, in certain cases, insulin pumps are a common part of diabetes therapy. Exogenous insulin is insulin that comes from outside the body. Insulin replacement research is mainly focused on improving therapy rather than curing type 1 diabetes. However, the benefits in quality of life they can provide are enormous.


  • Cell-based insulin production: This method entails enabling your body to secrete enough insulin on its own.


Islet transplantation is one method of accomplishing this. A donor's pancreatic cells are used in this approach. According to a recent study, 1 in 3 persons does not require insulin shots two years after receiving an islet transplant, according to this 2019 analysis.


Switching to other types of pancreatic cells for insulin production and encouraging your body to replenish beta cells are two further cell-based options. As noted in a 2021 review, stem cell research is massively used in this research. Stem Cell Therapy has shown great results in type1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes as well.


  • Protection of beta cells: The third main study topic focuses on preserving your current beta cells. A study looked at the people who had not yet been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes but were at greater risk for developing it. By use of a monoclonal antibody therapy was found to be effective in postponing the onset of diabetes in this investigation.


What role does stem cell research play in diabetes treatment?

Stem cells have proven to be quite useful in studying the mechanics of diabetes and how our cells digest glucose. Researchers are using stem cell research to try to answer questions like, "Why does the immune system destroy pancreatic beta cells in Type 1 diabetes?" and "What increases insulin sensitivity in Type 2 diabetes?"


Developing beta cells from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has recently made significant advances in studying diabetes. In the long run, iPSC-derived beta cells could be employed for replacement therapy and transplanting procedures. The chance of transplant rejection is reduced because induced pluripotent stem cells are produced from the patient's own cells.


How near are we to finding a cure?

Treatment for type 1 diabetes has concentrated on managing the disease for over a century. Patients can now regulate their blood glucose levels with regular insulin injections or an insulin pump, thanks to medical developments in the past.


Treatments to reverse type 1 diabetes and recover the body's natural ability to make insulin are currently being tested in clinical studies. Stem cell therapy for diabetes has emerged as a boon for people dealing with diabetes. Some diabetic patients have already been able to go without insulin as a result of these trials, greatly enhancing their quality of life.



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