A team of Chinese scientists and doctors has achieved a major breakthrough in diabetes treatment. They reportedly cured a patient’s diabetes using cell therapy, marking the first time this has been done in the world.
The patient, a 59-year-old man, had been suffering from type 2 diabetes for 25 years and had severe complications from the disease. He had also undergone a kidney transplant in 2017.
Because his pancreas, which controls blood sugar levels, wasn’t working properly, the patient had to take insulin injections every day. Yin Hao, a leading researcher at Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, explained that the patient’s condition was very serious, and he was at high risk for severe complications.
In July 2021, the patient received a new and innovative cell transplant. This treatment led to amazing improvements in his health. Just eleven weeks after the transplant, he no longer needed to take insulin. Over the next year, his need for oral medications to control his blood sugar was gradually reduced until he no longer needed them at all.
Follow-up exams showed that the patient’s pancreas was working properly again, and he has been able to live without insulin for 33 months. This incredible medical achievement was made possible by a team from Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, the Centre for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, and Renji Hospital. Their work was published in the journal Cell Discovery on April 30.
Timothy Kieffer, a professor at the University of British Columbia, praised the study, calling it a significant advancement in the use of cell therapy to treat diabetes. This breakthrough offers hope for new treatments that could help many other patients with diabetes.
