Can stem cells ‘cure’ diabetes? Lessons from two trials show how

News: Two separate reports from China show how stem cells were successfully used to ‘cure’ diabetes. One study showed how a woman with type 1 diabetes was reported to be insulin free a year after stem cell transplant. The other study showed similar success in a patient with type 2 diabetes.

1. Stem Cells: They are unique cells with remarkable ability to renew themselves and develop into many different cell types.

2. Diabetes: It is a chronic disease in which the body does not produce enough insulin or cannot efficiently utilise the insulin it produces.

4. There are 2 types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.

5. Type 1 diabetes: It is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas.

6. Type 2: It is a chronic condition caused by a combination of resistance to insulin and insulin deficiency, leading to persistently high blood sugar levels in the body.