Stem cell - patients with diabetes become insulin free

This is one major study with good news as relates to stem cells and diabetes, I can’t think of any person afflicted that would not like to get of the dependency of taking insulin by all means. Stem cells are reaching into so many different areas today and stand to offer both treatment and cures. It’s a shame we sat stagnant for so many years in the the US, but we are making up for it.

Of the 23 participants, only 8 relapsed and needed to go back on a low level of insulin. If they were on a high level before that could very well indicate progress here too. BD

The majority of patients with type 1 diabetes who underwent a certain type of stem cell transplantation became insulin free, several for more than three years, with good glycemic control, and also increased C-peptide levels, an indirect measure of beta-cell function, according to a study in the April 15 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on diabetes.

Of the 23 patients, 20 experienced time free from insulin (12 continuously and 8 transiently). Patients remained continuously insulin free for an average time of 31 months (range, 14-52 months). One patient had more than 4 years with no exogenous (produced outside the body) insulin use, 4 patients for at least 3 years, 3 patients for at least 2 years, and 4 patients for at least 1 year. Eight patients relapsed and resumed insulin use at low doses. The majority of patients achieved good glycemic control.

Two patients developed pneumonia in the hospital, 3 patients developed late endocrine dysfunction, and 9 patients developed oligospermia (sperm deficiency). There were no deaths.

The Wall Street Journal has this to add today about diabetes:

Suffering even one severe bout with low blood sugar appears to increase the risk of dementia in older adults with Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Diabetes is a known risk factor for dementia, but the study is thought to be the first to examine the effect of hypoglycemia on dementia risk in those with Type 2 diabetes, a form of the disease whose numbers have grown rapidly — even in children — because of the obesity epidemic.