Up-to-date stem cell research and diabetes

Stem cell research and diabetes cure is definitely an ongoing project and it is showing great promise.

Stem cell research and diabetes cure is definitely an ongoing project which is showing great promise. The University of Pennsylvania currently is performing clinical trials for a new surgery known as Islet Cell Transplantation.

The new procedure involves transplanting islet cells coming from a matching donor. Beta islet cells are the cells from the pancreas that produce insulin. The method is for Type 1 diabetics whose Beta islet cells are already destroyed and so no insulin is manufactured. These mecholesterol.com patients must be on insulin therapy throughout their lives. Since the cells are transplanted in the liver, the body after the first transplant can provide warning signs if the blood sugar levels are too low. Many Type 1 diabetics don’t have any warning and often just black out which may be harmful when driving or performing other crucial tasks.

Islet cell transplantation can’t treat many instances of Type 2 diabetes but is a possible remedy for the over 700,000 people in the United States who may have Type 1 diabetes. But, at present there aren’t adequate donors to go around with just approximately 3,500 donor organs available last year. Most patients at present need 2 transplantations to get absolutely off insulin therapy.

The answer to this challenge is to make islets in the lab utilizing stems cells. There is certainly research taking place using debatable embryonic stem cells and also stem cells taken from adults. But because of the ethical and political debate regarding stem cells this pathway into a cure is moving slowly. People who feel that life starts at conception highly oppose embryonic stem cell research as the cells are derived from human embryos which are destroyed during this process. Embryonic stem cells haven’t become full grown into human cells and also have the greatest potential to turn into any type of cells inside the human body, including hair, skin, blood, toenail etc.

Opponents to this research believe that adult stem cells taken from adult bone marrow is the answer to this challenge. But you’ll find studies which raise questions regarding the ability of these cells as therapies.

A recently available published study reported that an intestinal hormone triggered stem cells extracted from a pancreas to become islet cells that secrete insulin – these are called beta cells, there is however debate over this research and it has not had the capacity to be reproduced.

Even though the research making use of stem cells is in its infant stages a lot of scientists think that this research holds the most promise for fulfillment for diabetics to be able to quit taking insulin injection after their bodies start generating the hormone naturally.

Stem cell research and diabetes cure is surely an ongoing project and is showing great promise in the battle to find a cure for this serious disease.