Preliminary Study Results: 4.16. 07 Brazilian and US scientists have used autologous stem cell transfusions to allow type 1 diabetics to forgo insulin use.
Insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas. (UCHSC)- The Pros
- 13 of 15 patients remain insulin free, and are off all diabetic medications.
- “It’s the first time in the history of type 1 diabetes where people have gone with no treatment whatsoever ... no medications at all, with normal blood sugars,” said study co-author Dr. Richard Burt of the Feinberg School of Medicine.
- The Cons
- Patients must undergo stem cell harvesting followed by high-does chemo and then stem cell transplant requiring a 3 week hospitalization.
- Patients face standard chemotherapy side effects and risk of lethal infection while immunocompromised.
- check out the article here - Voltarelli JC, et al. 2007. Autologous Nonmyeloablative Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. JAMA 297:1568-1576.
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