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Doctors and researchers are studying new ways to use stem cells to treat a variety of diseases, including type 1 diabetes. You can’t grow a new pancreas from stem cells just yet, but they may be used to help create insulin-producing cells to treat diabetes.
This article will discuss the science behind stem cells and how they may treat type 1 diabetes in the near future. If you’re interested in learning more about this treatment or want to join a study, talk to your doctor or endocrinologist (hormone specialist).
Stem cells can transform into various types of other cells. The process of changing from a stem cell into a specialized cell is known as differentiation. Nearly all of your body’s tissues have stem cells so they can stay healthy and repair themselves.
The human body makes two main types of stem cells — embryonic and adult. Embryonic stem cells come from unused embryos made during in vitro fertilization that are donated for scientific research. Embryonic stem cells can become many types of cells throughout the body.
Adult stem cells develop into specific types of cells based on their location in your body. For example, stem cells in your bone marrow (the spongy tissue inside your bones) make new blood cells. Doctors can take new bone marrow stem cells from a healthy donor to treat blood cancers.
Researchers can also make adult stem cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Pluripotent means the stem cells can behave more like embryonic stem cells. However, iPSCs can’t turn into as many cell types as embryonic stem cells can.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, meaning that your immune system mistakenly attacks your body. Specifically, it attacks the insulin-producing beta cells found in your pancreas. Without enough healthy beta cells, you don’t make enough insulin to keep your blood sugar levels in check. When you have about half of your beta cells left, your basal (morning) glucose level will be within normal limits. However, your blood sugar will go up more than normal after eating or after an oral glucose tolerance test. When you only have 20 percent of your beta cells left, your blood sugar levels will stay high all the time.
People with type 1 diabetes need to take daily insulin shots or use an insulin pump to mimic the pancreas. If you don’t control your blood sugar levels with insulin, you’re at risk of having extremely high or extremely low levels. This condition can become dangerous if left untreated.
Doctors and researchers are studying whether a stem cell transplant can help replace damaged cells in the pancreas. A successful transplant could help the pancreas make insulin again, which could cure type 1 diabetes.
There’s been plenty of new and exciting type 1 diabetes research in recent years, including stem cell therapy.
Researchers from the Netherlands, Canada, and the United States recently ran a study using a device made with pancreatic stem cells. The device, known as PEC-Direct, helps keep the stem cells safe from the immune system. Doctors place a small device underneath the skin to transplant the pancreatic stem cells.
Participants in the study also had to take immunosuppressive medications. These drugs suppress or dampen the immune system to stop it from attacking the implant and stem cells.
The follow-up study of 10 people found that PEC-Direct helped improve blood sugar levels in some participants. The authors found that three of the participants spent more time with their blood sugar levels in a healthy range. They also spent less time with levels above a healthy range.
The three participants also had fewer hypoglycemic episodes (episodes with very low blood sugar). People with type 1 diabetes are at risk of hypoglycemia while they sleep, during exercise, or when they take too much insulin. According to the American Diabetes Association, you probably have one or two episodes of mild hypoglycemia (with symptoms) every week. If you’ve had too many episodes, you can stop feeling anything when they appear (hypoglycemia unawareness), putting you at risk for serious complications (severe hypoglycemia), especially if you live alone. An episode of severe hypoglycemia is not defined by the blood sugar level but by whether the person can resolve it on their own.
The same 10-person study found that people with the PEC-Direct used less insulin within 12 months of the treatment. The amount of insulin used varied by person. For example, one participant used 44 percent less insulin, while another used 15 percent less. The third person’s insulin usage fell by 29 percent, but the effect lasted less than a year.
Because you can’t make your insulin with type 1 diabetes, you need to get it from injections or a pump. You may inject yourself with insulin three or four times every day, depending on your needs. An insulin pump can monitor your blood sugar and deliver insulin as needed.
Even though studies have shown promising results, stem cell therapy may not work for everyone with type 1 diabetes. Of the 10 participants in the PEC-Direct study, six people had unsuccessful treatments. We’ll need more studies to figure out better ways of treating type 1 diabetes with stem cells.
Some myT1Dteam members have tried stem cell therapy to treat their disease. After a stem cell transplant, a member reported: “All is going well. My basal is less than half of what I’ve been using. And overall, my daily usage of insulin is about a quarter of what I was taking.”
The member who received the stem cell transplant was excited about the results: “I was 13 when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1978. I’d love to have a chance to see how it feels to not be a type 1 diabetic, even if it only lasts for a year.”
It’s worth noting that researchers are still learning about stem cells and how well they work. This member shared their success story, but this may not be the case for everyone.
Before a new treatment becomes available to the general public, it has to go through large clinical studies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires these studies to make sure treatment is safe and effective.
At this time, there aren’t any FDA-approved stem cell treatments for type 1 diabetes. You’ll need to join a clinical trial to gain access to this experimental approach. Your doctor or endocrinologist can refer you to a study near you if you’re interested.
If you follow diabetes research, you may have seen that the FDA approved a new cell-based type 1 diabetes treatment in 2023. Donislecel (Lantidra) is a pancreatic islet cell transplant from a deceased donor.
Donislecel isn’t a stem cell therapy — it uses cells from another person’s pancreas. These cells make insulin so you won’t need to take insulin injections. In a way, donislecel is like an organ transplant. You’ll need to take immunosuppressive drugs to stop your immune system from attacking the new pancreatic cells.
On myT1Dteam, the social network for people living with type 1 diabetes and their loved ones, more than 3,400 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with those who understand life with type 1 diabetes.
Have you or a loved one received a stem cell transplant for type 1 diabetes? Was it effective? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.
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Flaviu Titus Patrascanu, M.D.
is a physician specializing in endocrinology and diabetes, nutritional, and metabolic disorders.
Learn more about him here.
Emily Wagner, M.S.
holds a Master of Science in biomedical sciences with a focus in pharmacology. She is passionate about immunology, cancer biology, and molecular biology.
Learn more about her here.
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