Scientists reverse diabetes in mice with lab-grown insulin cells
Key takeaways
- Scientists in Sweden have developed a more reliable way to create insulin-producing cells from human stem cells, bringing new momentum to efforts to treat type 1 diabetes.
- Type 1 diabetes develops when the immune system attacks and destroys the pancreas's insulin-producing cells.
- "We have developed a method that reliably produces high-quality insulin-producing cells from multiple human stem cell lines.
Why this matters: new research or scientific developments with potential real-world impact.
Scientists in Sweden have developed a more reliable way to create insulin-producing cells from human stem cells, bringing new momentum to efforts to treat type 1 diabetes. The research, published in Stem Cell Reports, shows that these lab-grown cells can effectively control blood sugar in tests and even reverse diabetes in mice.
Type 1 diabetes develops when the immune system attacks and destroys the pancreas's insulin-producing cells. Without insulin, the body cannot properly absorb glucose from the bloodstream, leading to dangerous blood sugar levels. Replacing these lost cells has long been seen as a promising solution, but earlier attempts to grow them from stem cells have produced inconsistent results.
"We have developed a method that reliably produces high-quality insulin-producing cells from multiple human stem cell lines. This opens up opportunities for future patient-specific cell therapies, which could reduce immune rejection," says Per-Olof Berggren, professor at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, and corresponding author alongside Siqin Wu, researcher at Spiber Technologies AB (formerly at Karolinska Institutet).