Breakthrough in Diabetes Treatment: Scientists Achieve Functional Cure for Type 1 Diabetes

Chinese scientists have made a breakthrough in the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for treating major diseases, achieving the first functional cure for Type 1 diabetes using stem cell-based regenerative therapy.

The research team, consisting of experts from Tianjin First Center Hospital (Professors Shen Zhongyang and Wang Shusen), Peking University and Changping Laboratory (Prof. Deng Hongkui), and Hangzhou Ruipu Chenchuang Technology Co., Ltd., utilized chemical reprogramming technology to induce pluripotent stem cells into islet cells. These cells were then transplanted into a patient with Type 1 diabetes, resulting in a clinically functional cure. The results were published in the prestigious international journal Cell on the evening of September 25.

Illustration and Effect of Stem Cell-based Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes

Professor Wang Shusen from Tianjin First Center Hospital explained that diabetes is a major threat to human health, with Type 1 diabetes being one of the more severe forms. Current treatments often struggle to achieve precise blood glucose control, leading to multiple complications that severely affect the quality of life. While islet transplantation has shown some clinical success, the shortage of pancreatic donors significantly limits its widespread application. Human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived islet cells are expected to overcome this barrier.

The patient, who had suffered from Type 1 diabetes for 11 years and was completely reliant on insulin treatment, had poor blood glucose control and frequently experienced severe hypoglycemia. After the transplant, the patient regained endogenous, physiological blood glucose regulation. Seventy-five days post-transplant, the patient was able to completely stop insulin injections and has maintained this for over a year. All diabetes-related metrics are now within the normal range, achieving a functional clinical cure for Type 1 diabetes. This clinical study is built on extensive preclinical research and national clinical stem cell research registrations, representing a significant step forward in diabetes treatment.

Schematic of Islet Cell Transplantation into the Rectus Abdominis

Professor Deng Hongkui, Director of the Stem Cell Research Center at Peking University, explained that pluripotent stem cells have the ability to proliferate indefinitely and can differentiate into all functional cell types in the body. These cells are considered “seed cells” in the field of regenerative medicine. The team used chemical small molecules to induce human cells into pluripotent stem cells, pioneering a new pathway for generating human pluripotent stem cells. This technology was awarded the 2024 Future Science Prize in the Life Sciences category.

Professor Deng emphasized that the initial success of using chemically reprogrammed functional cells for clinical disease treatment suggests that chemical reprogramming could become a universal foundational technology for efficiently producing various functional cell types. This opens new pathways for widespread cell therapy applications in treating major diseases.