Diabetes stem cells is one area where the scientists have tried hard over the years to find effective treatment for diabetes. There is progress in the understanding of the disease but there is still a lack of effective therapies. The pancreatic transplantation appears to be a way to replace the beta cells that produce insulin which have been attacked and destroyed by the body's immune system.
About 1300 patients with type 1 diabetes now receive some type of diabetes stem cells treatment with pancreas transplants. It has been reported that 83% showed no symptoms of diabetes after a year. In addition they do not have to take insulin in order to maintain their blood sugar level.
The trouble is there is too much demand for pancreas. Also, patients need strong drugs so that their bodies will not reject the transplanted pancreas. They have to take these the rest of their lives and this makes them vulnerable to other diseases. That is why many hospitals refuse to do the procedure unless the patient needs a kidney transplant as well since in this case he will need the drugs anyway.
Over the years doctors have tried to treat diabetes through injections of pancreatic islet cells but the need for steroid therapy to prevent rejection increases the demand on the cells to the point that this may weaken their ability to produce insulin. That is why less than 8% of the islet cell transplants were successful.
Researchers tried to develop diabetes stem cells that should be able to renew themselves or multiply in culture. It was not obvious whether it is prudent to produce only beta cells which are the islet cells that produce insulin. They tried to find out whether it was necessary to include the other types.
Newsalert
Obama Stem Cell Ad Ignores 'Adult Stem Cell' Diabetes Treatments
Apparently, Obama's ad regarding stem cells implying there are presently no stem cell therapies available for someone with this disease has some people saying it's not true. They say there's stem cell treatment going on in Germany and Thailand.
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