Treatment of T1D Essay Example

Type 1 diabetes is a disease where the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin inside the body and consequently causes issues with glucose levels. There is currently no cure for T1D. Researchers have come up with a way to potentially cure T1D. Using stem cells, researchers need to replace pancreatic beta cells so the stem cells can make insulin to supply the body with. One of the tactics being used to test this potential cure for is through a trial they are calling VX-880. 

The route that researchers are going about curing T1D is by replacing the damaged cells with new cells, however, one issue with that is figuring out a way to avoid the immune system attacking the new cells. Stem cells are useful for this new VX-880 therapy because the cells are not yet matured so they are grown to become islet cells (cells that produce insulin). This therapy can only be done if the patient is put under an immunosuppressive so the new cells are not attacked. The therapy acts similar to when patients receive a donor with an organ transplant. 

The research on beta cells isn’t brand new but nevertheless the plan of going about the research is what’s new. According to James Shapiro, back in the 90’s when they tested islet cells from dead patients in people it was such a low success rate that the majority of researchers wanted to give up. The Shapiro method was created after not giving up and although it was successful he stated, “The downside of the procedure is that recipients must commit to a long-term regimen of powerful immunosuppressive drugs, which leave them vulnerable to infections and other complications” (Drew). Due to how complicated and the multiple downsides of the method, researchers like Ronghui Li have been trying to find a new strategy to speed up the process of creating the cells.

Trials for this new cure have already been tested on animals. Investigators stated they had found a faster method to create the cells needed and reported, “Additionally, when these beta cells were tested in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes, the animals' blood sugar was brought under control within about two weeks” (Henderson). The mice had to be modified to make sure the cells wouldn’t be rejected since they are human cells. The scientists had to look at new approaches by mixing ample amounts of different chemicals until they finally achieved beta cells that yield for up to 80%. Another technique the scientists used to better the process of creating beta cells was by changing the cells from growing on flat objects to three-dimensional objects. According to Ronghui Li who works in the Belmonte lab, growing the cells within three-dimensional objects allowed the cells to interact with one another just as they would inside the immune system. The importance of this study is significant because if a faster and more efficient method can be found to produce these beta cells to help cure T1D then the cells can be modified to help cure other diseases.

Stem cell research and trials are incredibly important for future cures. The groundwork isn’t new but the technology for it is what’s bringing this closer to a cure. The trials on animals have been successful. Without the past failures and documentations the research could take countless more years nevertheless with newer and more rapid methods of creating these cells it could cut that time.