Chinese Scientists Achieve World First in Curing 25-Year-Old Woman's Type 1 Diabetes with Stem Cell Transplant

Sep 27, 2024, 02:13 AM

Chinese scientists have achieved a clinical cure for a type 1 diabetes patient by transplanting islet cells derived from chemically induced pluripotent stem cells (CiPSC-islets). This groundbreaking procedure, detailed in the journal Cell and reported by Nature, marks a world first in regenerative medicine. A 25-year-old woman, the first person to receive this kind of autologous transplant, started producing her own insulin less than three months after the procedure. Conducted in June 2023, the 30-minute operation involved injecting about 1.5 million stem cell clusters into her abdominal muscles. She has maintained insulin production for over a year without the need for supplements. This innovative treatment could pave the way for new diabetes therapies, potentially eliminating the need for immune-suppressing drugs in the future.