A Stem Cell Approach to Cure Type 1 Diabetes
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Updated: Dec 27, 2025

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Published on: November 18, 2022
Aharon Helman1, Douglas A Melton1
1Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Sherman Fairchild, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
Abstract:
Treatment of type 1 diabetes with insulin injection is expensive, complicated, and insufficient. While cadaveric islet transplantations coupled with immunosuppressants can cure diabetes, the scarcity of acceptable islets is problematic. Developmental research on pancreas formation has informed in vitro differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into functional islets. Although generating β cells from stem cells offers a potential cure for type 1 diabetes, several challenges remain, including protecting the cells from the immune system.
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