Stem cell-based treatment may help Type 1 diabetes patients produce insulin: Canadian study
CTV
A first-of-its-kind study involving researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health shows that a stem cell-based treatment delivered through an implantable device can produce insulin in Type 1 diabetes patients.
The first-of-its-kind study, conducted by a team of researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), shows that a tiny implant infused with stem cells can help the body produce insulin on its own.
“There is hope for people with type one diabetes, that has never existed before,” Dr. David Thompson, endocrinologist at Vancouver General Hospital, told CTV National News.
Fifteen patients living with Type 1 diabetes participated in the study, which saw a device the size of a quarter implanted in their abdomen.
Each device contained millions of lab-grown cells that originated from a single stem cell line and were “coached” into becoming beta cells, which are responsible for making insulin, the hormone that controls a person’s blood sugar.
