China has made a permanent cure for diabetes?

A decade-long research has given a historic breakthrough to a group of scientists in China who have successfully eliminated type 2 diabetes in a patient through cell therapy. The 59 year old patient was suffering from diabetes for the last 25 years.
The findings of the study have been published on Cell Discovery and is being hailed as the world’s first successful use of stem cell-derived islet transplantation to cure diabetes.
The researchers are from Shanghai Changzheng Hospital.
“Type 2 diabetes (T2D) typically starts with insulin resistance in peripheral tissues and proceeds with gradual loss of islet function due to the reduction in β-cell mass or dedifferentiation of β cells. More than 30% of T2D patients eventually rely on exogenous insulin treatment. Cadaveric islet transplantation is an effective treatment for insulin-dependent diabetes,” the researchers have said.

In July 2021, the researchers used the patient’s own blood cells to create stem cells, and these were converted into pancreatic islet cells. The transplant effectively eliminated the patient’s reliance on external insulin within 11 weeks. Over the following year, oral medication was gradually decreased and eventually stopped altogether.

What are islet cells? What is their role in diabetes?

Islet cells, located within the pancreas in small clusters known as islets of Langerhans, play a crucial role in regulating blood sugar levels and are integral to understanding diabetes.
The islet cells are like specialized cells in the pancreas which contains different types of cells that work together to maintain balance in the body’s sugar levels.
The main part in the islet cells are beta cells, responsible for producing insulin. Insulin acts like a key that unlocks cells, allowing them to absorb glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream. This process is essential because glucose provides energy for our cells to function properly.

In diabetes, the balance within these islet cells is disrupted. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys beta cells, leading to a lack of insulin production. Without enough insulin, glucose remains in the bloodstream, causing high blood sugar levels that can lead to serious health complications.
Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, typically involves insulin resistance. Here, the body’s cells become less responsive to insulin, making it difficult for glucose to enter cells. As a result, the pancreas may produce more insulin to compensate, eventually leading to beta cell exhaustion and reduced insulin production.
Other types of islet cells also play critical roles. Alpha cells produce glucagon, a hormone that raises blood sugar levels when needed, such as during fasting. Delta cells release somatostatin, which helps regulate the release of insulin and glucagon to maintain stable blood sugar levels.
The recent discovery made by the scientists in China involves islet transplantation to cure diabetes.