Key Takeaways
- A single stem cell implant allowed a woman with type 1 diabetes to stop daily insulin for over a year.
- The treatment used lab-grown insulin-producing cells from Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
- This approach aims to replace the damaged cells that cause type 1 diabetes.
- The trial is still early, with more participants and follow-up needed.
- Long-term safety and effectiveness remain under study.
A new treatment using lab-made stem cells has shown promising results for people with type 1 diabetes. One woman was able to stop taking daily insulin for more than a year after receiving a single implant of insulin-producing cells. This breakthrough could point to a new way of treating type 1 diabetes in the future.
In this article, you’ll learn what this stem cell therapy involves, how it was tested, and what scientists know so far about its potential to help people with type 1 diabetes.
What Was Studied
Researchers studied an experimental treatment designed to replace the insulin-producing beta cells that are destroyed in type 1 diabetes. The therapy uses cells derived from stem cells, which are grown in a lab to act like healthy beta cells. These lab-grown cells are then implanted in the patient to produce insulin naturally.
The product, called VX-880, was developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals. It aims to restore the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar by providing a fresh supply of insulin-producing cells.
How the Research Was Conducted
A 43-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes took part in a clinical trial for VX-880. Before the implant, she was using 30 units of insulin per day. Doctors transplanted a dose of the lab-made beta cells directly into her liver through a vein. She also took immunosuppressive drugs to help prevent her immune system from attacking the new cells, which is a risk in type 1 diabetes treatment.
After the procedure, doctors monitored her blood sugar levels, insulin production, and overall health for about 12 months.
What the Results Showed
According to the New England Journal of Medicine report, the woman was able to stop all external insulin use within six months of the implant. At 12 months, she still showed normal blood sugar control without needing any daily insulin. Her hemoglobin A1c, a measure of long-term blood sugar, fell from 7.4% before treatment to 5.3% afterward, which is considered a healthy level.
Doctors reported that her own pancreas was making enough insulin with the help of the implanted cells to maintain stable blood sugar. This result suggests the lab-grown beta cells successfully replaced the destroyed cells in her body, at least for the first year after the transplant.
The trial will continue with more participants to confirm these findings.
What Happens Next
The study is ongoing, and researchers will track the woman’s progress for a total of two years. They will also enroll more patients to see whether these results can be repeated in others with type 1 diabetes. The treatment still requires immunosuppressive drugs, which carry some risks, so scientists are also working on ways to protect implanted cells without long-term immune-suppressing medication.
The future of this treatment depends on showing that it is both safe and effective over a longer period. Larger trials will help answer whether VX-880 can become a widely used therapy for type 1 diabetes.
