• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Covid Resource Center
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Health Conditions / Diabetes / Researchers May Be Close to a Cure for Type 1 Diabetes

Researchers May Be Close to a Cure for Type 1 Diabetes

type 1 diabetes

Science could be well on its way to a cure for type 1 diabetes, as researchers hone transplant therapies designed to restore patients’ ability to produce their own insulin, experts say.

How does the transplant work?

At least one patient — a 64-year-old Ohio man named Brian Shelton — can now automatically control his insulin and blood sugar levels without the need for medication, following a transplant of experimental pancreatic stem cells.

Shelton’s therapy isn’t a perfect cure. He must take a heavy dose of immune-suppressing drugs to keep his body from rejecting the transplant, and those drugs pose their own health hazards.

But the therapy created by Vertex Pharmaceuticals could provide immediate relief to thousands who are lined up for a pancreas transplant because their type 1 diabetes has progressed to the point where it’s life-threatening, says Sanjoy Dutta, chief scientific officer for JDRF International.

You May Also Like
7 Proven Ways to Cure an Upset Stomach

Some of these folks are suffering hypoglycemic shock and landing in an emergency room multiple times a month, while others have developed resistance to insulin shots or other diabetes medications that have helped keep them alive.

“Today, there are probably 5,000 to 10,000 people or more cued up for pancreatic or islet transplantation, but they’re not going to get it because there’s not enough supply,” Dutta shares.

RELATED: Early Blood Sugar Control Lengthens Life In People With Type 1 Diabetes

What are the next steps?

Researchers next plan to test Shelton’s first-generation cure on 17 people, to start gathering short- and long-term data on safety and effectiveness, according to Dr. Yogish Kudva, a type 1 diabetes researcher with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

“The first goal is to do this at multiple centers. They’ve only reported one patient at this point,” he adds. “They want to do 17 people and probably have the same approach in all 17.”

You May Also Like
How One Woman Eliminated 50 Fibroids without Surgery!

Vertex and other pharmaceutical companies are also surging forward to the next generation, looking at ways to further improve these stem cell therapies so they would require less immune suppression — or even none at all, Dutta and Kudva share.

Three options for a type 1 diabetes cure

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body’s immune system turns against the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, called beta cells. When enough beta cells have been destroyed, diabetic symptoms appear and can become severe in short order.

Thus, these stem cell transplants have to overcome not only the autoimmune disorder that caused type 1 diabetes, but also the

Continue Reading

The Latest In Diabetes

breakfast ideas for diabetes

10 Delicious Diabetes-Friendly Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast options that are low in carbohydrates but rich in protein may help keep blood sugar levels stable as you enjoy your morning meal. Breakfast doesn't get much easier than this: from egg cups to sausage-stuffed peppers, we've got the read more about 10 Delicious Diabetes-Friendly Breakfast Ideas
daily vitamins

3 Supplements You Should Be Taking Daily

Walking through the health supplements aisle for the first or fiftieth time can be confusing and overwhelming. Even if you eat a healthy diet it can be difficult to get the recommended daily amount of some nutrients. Investing in a read more about 3 Supplements You Should Be Taking Daily
aloe vera juice benefits

6 Reasons Why You Should Be Drinking Aloe Vera Juice

It’s fairly well-known that aloe vera is great for the skin and hair but did you know that you can drink it too? Given how many essential nutrients aloe vera juice contains, researchers have been conducting studies to prove those read more about 6 Reasons Why You Should Be Drinking Aloe Vera Juice
healthy resolutions

America’s Doctors Offer Up 11 Healthy Resolutions for 2023

It's that time of year again, when people gather up their best intentions for living a healthier life and make New Year's resolutions. However, if you've ever made a resolution, you know it isn't easy to keep. In fact, most read more about America’s Doctors Offer Up 11 Healthy Resolutions for 2023
Signs of Gestational Diabetes

6 Signs You Should be Screened for Gestational Diabetes

In order to determine whether you've developed gestational diabetes during pregnancy, doctors may test your blood sugar level. The most common procedure is a glucose screening. RELATED: The Difference Between Type 1, Type 2 & Gestational Diabetes Most women are tested read more about 6 Signs You Should be Screened for Gestational Diabetes
Black owned hospitals

One Of The Oldest Black-Run Hospitals In Houston Gets A Face-Lift

Years ago, 500 Black-owned hospitals existed in the United States. At the time, Detroit held the most Black-run healthcare systems, having a total of 18 set-up shops. However, historical institutions such as these have ceased to exist in today’s world. read more about One Of The Oldest Black-Run Hospitals In Houston Gets A Face-Lift

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • 10 Signs You’re Living With Clogged Arteries 10 Signs You’re Living With Clogged Arteries
  • Monica Calhoun at 51: “Exude Beauty Inside, Manifest It Outside”Monica Calhoun at 51: "Exude Beauty Inside, Manifest It Outside"
  • Mo’Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: “I Love Us For Real”Mo'Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: "I Love Us For Real"
  • Taimak: The Last Dragon Lives 35+ Years Later!Taimak: The Last Dragon Lives 35+ Years Later!
  • John David Washington: “They Tried To Use My Name Against Me”John David Washington: "They Tried To Use My Name Against Me"

Podcast

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2023, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.