In the US, ten people with type 1 diabetes no longer require insulin injections after experimental treatment with stem cells. This was made possible by the new drug "Zimyslecel", developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Its effectiveness was confirmed by a clinical program, the results of which recently released the Daily Mail .
The study involved 12 patients with severe diabetes, complicated by hypoglycemic unconsciousness - a dangerous condition at which a person does not feel a fall in blood sugar. This can lead to court, loss of consciousness and even death. A year after the introduction of cellular therapy, ten participants were able to completely stop insulin therapy, and two more - significantly reduced its dose.
The essence of the method is that patients are implanted in the liver specially grown in the laboratory of beta cells of the pancreas, created from stem cells. It is the beta cells that are responsible for the production of insulin-a hormone that regulates blood glucose levels. In patients with type 1 diabetes, these cells are destroyed due to the autoimmune reaction of the body.
After infusion of cells, patients stabilized blood sugar. If glucose control was effective only half a day before treatment, then more than 93% of the time. In many cases, patients abandoned daily insulin injections - for the first time in ten years.
However, new therapy is still in need of escorts - patients should constantly take immunosuppressants to avoid the rejection of new cells. However, scientists hope that over time they will be able to create a solution that will avoid or minimize the need for these medicines.
This scientific development is the result of 25 years of research initiated by a child with a child with diabetes. His personal promise to find treatment has grown into a major research project that is already changing the lives of patients today.
Examples of life stories show the effectiveness of the method: 36-year-old Amanda Smith from the United Kingdom has stated that therapy "returned her new life", and another participant, Marlyna Godel from the United States, after 25 years of insulin injections were able to return to active life, training and a favorite hobby.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals plans to submit the drug for approval to the US Product and Medicines Control (FDA) over the next five years.
