A new test found that one man may be the first cure for type 1 diabetes. What’s next for research?

Patients with type 1 diabetes are the first patients to be cured of their illness with new treatments, and clinical trial reports claim that they are paving the way for those who want to beat it.

Around New York TimesClinical trials by Vertex Pharmaceuticals have been testing treatments for decades. After 30 years and $ 50 million, the first patient was cured.

Brian Shelton, now 64, received his first cell infusion of stem cells that acted like insulin-producing pancreatic cells that were lacking in his body.

His body is now automatically controlling insulin and blood sugar levels. “It’s a whole new life,” Shelton said. New York Times report. “It’s like a miracle.”

“This is a remarkable result,” said Dr. Peter Butler, a diabetes expert at the University of California, Los Angeles, in a report. “The ability to improve diabetes by returning lost cells is comparable to the miracle of when insulin was first available 100 years ago.”

The study will continue for five years and will involve 17 people with severe cases of type 1 diabetes. This will give 9 million people suffering from this disease a chance to make a big difference in their lives.

What is Type 1 Diabetes?

according to Centers for Disease Control and PreventionIn the case of type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. In the absence of insulin, blood sugar levels can accumulate in the bloodstream instead of entering the cells used for energy.

• Type 1 diabetes is less common and is diagnosed in children, teens, and young adults, but it can occur at any age.
• People suffering from this disease are at increased risk of nerve damage, which can lead to disconnection, heart disease, stroke, eye problems such as glaucoma and cataracts, and skin infections.
• In 2019, it was the ninth leading cause of death, with 1.5 million deaths that year. World Health Organization..

What’s next for research?

Currently, cell infusion therapy requires cells that are in the class of immunosuppressive agents that suppress the immune system, says Professor Douglas Melton, a pioneer in the science behind the therapy. Harvard Gazette

Without immunosuppressants, these cells are rejected by the body. “We want to find a way to make cells by genetic engineering that is not recognized as outpatient,” he said.

• Melton sees this as a solvable problem. “If a woman has a baby, that baby has two sets of genes. It has a gene from an egg from a mother that would be recognized as” self “, but is” non-self. ” I also have a gene from my father. Why doesn’t the mother’s body reject the foetation? Understanding that will help us to get an idea of ​​which genes are altered in the islets of stem cells and can be entered by anyone, “he said.

A healthy dose of skepticism

Dr. Scott Summers, President of Nutrition and Integrated Physiology at the University of Utah. He thinks a lot of work is left, and he looks carefully at this study.

“At this point, we are only reading about the results of one patient. Clinical trials are still underway and a complete set of results is not expected for several years. This paper has not been peer-reviewed. There is actually a lively debate among scientists about whether it is ethical or appropriate to publish data at a very early stage, “he told Dezalet News.

The fact that it is a biotechnology company allows for a non-negligible marketing aspect. “It’s strange that a press release comes out very early in the study,” he added.

Summers also has some doubts about Melton. Despite being a talented scientist, he responded to a huge dissertation five years ago. His group allegedly discovered hormones that could stimulate the growth of insulin cells. However, it was not possible to reproduce those findings.

So Melton did what an ethical scientist did — he withdrew the paper.

“This is a good memory to remind us that multiple groups need to be rigorously evaluated and duplicated before we can carve the findings into stone,” says Summers.

“Despite these concerns, I’m excited,” he added. “This discovery has the potential to revolutionize the understanding and treatment of this insidious disease.”