Good News Network · 14 days ago

Stanford Cures Type-1 Diabetes in Mice Without Insulin or Immune Suppression

Stanford researchers achieved something unprecedented: mice with type-1 diabetes were cured without insulin injections or immune-suppressing drugs, their bodies accepting transplanted pancreatic cells that their immune systems would normally destroy. The key was creating what scientists call a "hybrid immune system" through a dual transplant of both insulin-producing islet cells and blood stem cells from healthy donors, using a gentler preparatory treatment that avoided the life-threatening radiation typically required. "We need to not only replace the islets that have been lost but also reset the recipient's immune system to prevent ongoing islet cell destruction," explains Dr. Seung Kim, whose team saw all 28 treated mice either prevented from developing or cured of the disease for six months. The approach carries promise not only for the millions living with type-1 diabetes but for other autoimmune conditions where the body turns against itself, though translating the dual-cell therapy to humans will require solving how to cultivate enough pancreatic cells for a much larger organism.