r/diabetes • u/Dazzling-Film-3404 • Sep 28 '24
Any confirmation on this news? Type 1
Text under the original post I found this on:
Diabetes is over
For the first time in history, scientists have cured type 1 diabetes, in which insulin is not produced in the body at all. Doctors altered the stem cells of a 25-year-old girl and transplanted them back three months later, the body was able to produce insulin, although this was previously impossible
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u/JohnnyBravo30488 Sep 28 '24
Not as Revolutionary as you would think the person that these cells were implanted in was already taking suppressant drugs for a liver transplant so they couldn't confirm if the cells where protected from that. The real study is going on now from vertex where they have injected the cells in a tiny push that will protected from the immune system implanted in your adobmen
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u/FierceDeity_ CFRD Type3c, YpsoPump, CamAPS, Libre 3 Sep 29 '24
Vertex is good at this, they basically stopped my cystic fibrosis getting worse with a daily pill
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u/SpicaGenovese Type 1 '94/DexcomG6/Omnipod5 Sep 29 '24
I applied for one of their studies.
My A1C wasn't bad enough to qualify. 🥲
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u/Bitter-Trouble-3376 Oct 05 '24
Same I was bummed… free ice cream protein shakes and 1k dollars heck ya
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u/SpicaGenovese Type 1 '94/DexcomG6/Omnipod5 Oct 05 '24
I would've had to have gone off my metformin for several months, and I wasn't doing that to myself.
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u/Inevitable-Set3621 Type 1 Sep 28 '24
Longest anyone's gone after having this done is 10 years before the body rejects it and you become a diabetic again. It's a horrific thing to go back into after ten years of living a shitty life worrying about what will kill you because you have virtually no immunity. It's a lose lose situation but for the sake of scientific advancement it's needed.
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u/Celtiberian2023 Sep 29 '24
But can't they then get a new round of somewhat different stem cells for another 10 years of relief?
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u/Inevitable-Set3621 Type 1 Sep 29 '24
Tbh I have no clue I haven't researched it thoroughly enough to comment on that. My info in my first comment was based on an article I read some time ago.
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u/Atomic-Axolotl Sep 30 '24
Yes you can. The problem is that the current cures require immunosuppression.
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u/buzzybody21 Type 1 2018 MDI/g6 Sep 28 '24
It’s not a cure. It’s trading one disease for another. They’ll be on immunosuppressant medications for the remainder of their life, which predisposes them to infection, certain cancers and death. And they’ll be on steroids for life, which will eventually lead to diabetes.
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u/schweddybalczak Sep 28 '24
If they altered her own stem cells why would she need immunotherapy? They’re her cells not ones from a foreign host.
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u/jayweaks Sep 28 '24
Exactly. They're her cells.
This person is type-1 diabetic - which is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks and destroys the insulin producing cells. If you regenerate those cells, the body will just attack and destroy them again - hence the need for immunosuppressant drugs.
So, this is not a cure.
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u/Poohstrnak MODY3 | Tandem Mobi / G7 Sep 29 '24
They would have to fundamentally change the cells while keeping their function
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u/Atomic-Axolotl Sep 30 '24
What if someone had these stem cells implemented and then they took Teplizumab which is supposed to delay the onset of T1 diabetes. Then you just repeat this very often and we get an almost permanent honeymoon period and the companies keep their subscription model in America (insulin). Win win.
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u/Ok-Zombie-001 Sep 28 '24
Because t1 is an autoimmune disease. Your own immune system will attack your own cells. Immunosuppressive therapy keeps that from happening. Without the immunosuppressive meds, her system will kill the stem cells and she’ll be t1 again.
She’s already on immunosuppressive meds for an organ transplant.
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u/Data1L0ss Sep 29 '24
Because t1 diabetes is our immune system being a douche and attacking our own cells
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Sep 28 '24
[deleted]
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u/Swellmeister Sep 28 '24
T1D is an auto immune disease. They didn't fix the auto rejection of islet cells she currently has with this, she just got new ones. She does need immunosuppressive drugs, because this wasn't a test to fix the immune response, so nothing about that would have changed. Islet cells still present the same markers, and those markers are still targeted for destruction.
he next step is to either target the immune system and remove the misidentified islet cells, or determine a way to have the new islet cells present with a different, but valid marker.
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u/14cmd Sep 29 '24
I don't think they would have performed the op if she was not already on suppressants.
I would suspect that she needs the suppressants to try to stop the new cells being killed. But putting someone on suppressants is a huge-risk (and certainly not a risk I would take). But because she was already on suppressants she has already accepted that risk.
Unfortunately if that is the case, then the new cells will probably be killed off whenever she stops taking the suppressants.
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u/Soranic Non-diabetic parent of T1 Sep 29 '24
They’ll be on immunosuppressant medications
That particular patient already was on suppressors, so the cure headline has caveats.
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u/great_view Sep 28 '24
I suggest you read the paper. The study subject was on immunosuppressants for a totally different reason, and chances are, that’s why she was selected for this trial in the first place. This is a research study and this is an enormous advance.
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u/Megabusta T1 2001 TSlimX2 / Dexcom G7 Sep 28 '24
Works for me I'm already a kidney tx patient haha
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u/DaveBinM Type 1 / 2002 / Fiasp & Levemir Smart Pens + FreeStyle Libre 2 Sep 28 '24
…isn't everyone predisposed to death? 😅
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u/Primary_Success8676 Sep 29 '24
I've been a type 1 diabetic for almost 30 years. Every few years scientists would say "we almost have a cure!" While this looks very promising, it will probably be another 5 to 10 years of beurocratic nonsense to make it commercially available. Also, how do they keep the immune system from attacking the new cloned beta cells? I know these are the person's own cells, but most type 1s have an autoimmune issue where at some point their beta cells were infected with a pathogen (unlucky) and their immune system carpet bombed the beta cells and deemed them as an "enemy" . Thus no beta cells, diabetes type 1 and no insulin production. A cure would be nice!
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u/Godo_365 Type 1 | 2020 | 780G + G3 Sep 29 '24
how do they keep the immune system from attacking the new cloned beta cells
Drugs. Many many drugs. So much that the person will not have any immunity against diseases, which is far more dangerous than diabetes. So congratulations, they technically cured diabetes, but they didn't mention what's after that is way worse.
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u/Primary_Success8676 Sep 29 '24
One method I've read about is micro encapsulation... Or putting the new beta cells into a micro mesh bubble that allows nutrients in, allows insulin out but keeps the larger immune system cells from destroying them. Not sure how this would work long-term. Also if the new beta cells are implanted in the liver, there is very low immune response in that organ, but hard to retrieve them if anything goes wrong.
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u/503Monty82 Oct 05 '24
I hadn’t heard about this one but am definitely gonna research now, thanks for sharing. It sounds really interesting. But god damnit if we don’t live in a crazy fucking time that doing something this complicated is even an actual thing. Science is crazy these days.
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u/IcyAd557 Oct 01 '24
My mom much preferred 13 more years on immunosuppressants than not having a functioning kidney. It’s always a trade off but sometimes, it’s the lesser of two evils.
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u/Fearless_Ad_4346 Sep 29 '24
I just wish they could come up with a pill instead of the pump/injection.
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u/MrsClaire07 Sep 29 '24
My husband is firmly of the opinion that the Business of Treating Diabetes is so profitable that the Pharmaceutical Corporations will never allow a cure to be implemented.
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u/Slytherin_Sniped Sep 28 '24
My diabetes was induced with prolong use of steroids. Not fun and this probably isn’t worth it
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u/ConsiderationHot7076 Sep 29 '24 edited Sep 30 '24
My theory is, i think they had the cure for diabetes years ago. Its just the big corporation will not able to make money out of diabetes meds and insulin and they just cant let the cure roll out so easily. But i might be totally wrong here. Just my thought
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u/gotBurner Sep 29 '24
The conspiracy agent in me always thinks there is a chance that cures won't happen because business is too good.
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u/CapDris116 Sep 29 '24
That's not a conspiracy that's a fact lol. Eli Lilly increased the price of Humalog 34 times since 1996 from $21 to $275—1,200 percent. Why would they cure T1? It's not inaccurate to say that's not their job 😭😭😭
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u/Ok-Zombie-001 Sep 28 '24
it’s legit but will mean a lifetime of immunosuppressive therapy.
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Sep 28 '24
Raise your hand if you would be ok with taking these immunosuppressive drugs the rest of your life without having to worry so much about your sugar levels? Which one would lead to a more enjoyable life?
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u/AleksandrNevsky Type 1 Sep 28 '24
Hello cancer, infections, and worse response to common viruses.
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u/Molokaisylph32 Type 2 Sep 28 '24
This is not new, its an ongoing trial.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/27/health/diabetes-cure-stem-cells.html
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u/ImHellBent Sep 28 '24
What you are referring to in the NY Times article is completely different than what the OP is referring to.
What the OP is referencing is here: https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(24)01022-5?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867424010225%3Fshowall%3Dtrue01022-5?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867424010225%3Fshowall%3Dtrue)
This was published on September 26, 2024. This is not the Vertex trial.
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u/Ok-Zombie-001 Sep 28 '24
She’s the first one with t1 from this group. Everyone else has been t2.
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u/WildMartin429 Sep 29 '24
I thought I remembered something a few months ago out of China. But they were waiting for independent confirmation from other scientists but I can't remember what that new diabetes treatment was that basically got rid of diabetes it might have been this. If this is confirmation of that experiment then that bodes well. Diabetes runs in my family my mom has it and on my dad's side his sister and father has/had it.
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u/Yojimbo115 Sep 29 '24
Stem cell research formed a broken pancreas back on? I'm no biologist, but this makes no sense to me.
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u/timbeak50 Sep 29 '24
As far as how soon the cure is coming, I have been hearing "in five or ten years" for over FIFTY years.
And I have only been a Type 1 for fifteen years.
(But my brother has had it for FIFTY-THREE years, so I'm not lying).
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u/JustGus1 Sep 30 '24
Best advice from my new specialist, when I was diagnosed 35 years ago: “Be ready for phone calls from friends when it’s a slow new day about a “breakthrough cure” that will be available in couple of years. If there’s something coming down the pike you’ll have heard about it (through the T1D community) waaaaasaaaay before.”
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u/Agent047Bizzy Sep 30 '24
I was told there will be a cure "in 10 years" back in 1991 - Unfortunately pharmaceutical companiee want to keep the sick, sick... There will not be a cure released to general public because pharma will lose billions on a monthly basis.. Its sad but true... There probably is a cure, but will be kept quiet... Same goes for cancer too
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u/Temporary_Tennis_822 Sep 28 '24
if you want some optimistic response definitely do not post it on reddit
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u/cyoung1024 T1 1999, DIY looper Sep 28 '24
I mean… can you blame us ? For decades we’ve been told « the cure is around the corner ! », it always just leads to false hope and immunodepressants. Better to make peace with the disease than continue believing in fake cures that just make you more sick than you were to start with.
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u/Early-Feed8544 Sep 28 '24
this is real - the science is still being honed - we don’t have the ability to create insulin creating beta cells that are on par with our body’s original beta cells, but all kinds of work is being done to get us there. Some are focusing on producing tougher beta cells and equipping the with nutrients and protections so they can thrive when transplanted into diabetes patients, some are focusing on navigating the immune response, so many people looking at so many things - it’s incredible- but it also takes time. For now, skip the doughnuts.
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u/drugihparrukava Type 1 Sep 29 '24
When the actual autoimmune response can be predicted and stopped, then I'd consider T1 cured.
However, I do not understand the doughnut comment.
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u/FierceDeity_ CFRD Type3c, YpsoPump, CamAPS, Libre 3 Sep 29 '24
I want this to happen to me, I have Type 3, and the reason that destroyed my insulin cells is suppressed now (CF, the pancreas slimes up, and the cells die in there, but a pill by vertex can stop the sliming, which it does now. I still have producing cells, but way too little are left, but those are staying around now since I take the medicine)
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u/thatoneguy9419 Sep 28 '24
10 more years