Diabetes Cured With Stem Cell Treatment!

[mr. nails]

i think this mostly involved the type 1 for i'm type 2 and hope this will work for me as well.

Diabetes Cured (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article1637528.ece)

[lee551]

wow, pretty amazing. stem cells could [will] be such a huge breakthrough for medicine if [when] it gets accepted. proof like this is a good start. one of my friends just got diagnosed with diabetes; good news on the horizon it seems.

[j2k4]

Very encouraging, but to say "cure" is akin to saying "mission accomplished" in Iraq.

The trials indicate a hopeful situation to be sure, but anything beyond that is a trifle premature.

Keep eyes and ears open for more news, I'd say. ;)

[popopot]

The unfortunate thing is that, like with all medicines/treatments, the results will have to independently verified and then it will probably takes years in clinical trials before it becomes available to the masses.

There is also another story somewhere, where a man had a transplant of some insulin producing pig cells that are still going to this day, essentially 'curing' him of diabetes.

And, scientists are developing injection tools that are similar to the hypospray from StarTrek, that will 'push' the fluid into a persons system and will remove the need for direct injections.

[j2k4]

The unfortunate thing is that, like with all medicines/treatments, the results will have to independently verified and then it will probably takes years in clinical trials before it becomes available to the masses.

There is also another story somewhere, where a man had a transplant of some insulin producing pig cells that are still going to this day, essentially 'curing' him of diabetes.

And, scientists are developing injection tools that are similar to the hypospray from StarTrek, that will 'push' the fluid into a persons system and will remove the need for direct injections.

Quite right; that last has been "being perfected" for the past two decades.

These things don't happen in any kind of hurry.

[lynx]

I understand these are not even official trials, since there have been no control subjects. That said, 14 positive results out of 15 subjects is impressive. At that sort of level the general population would seem to become the control in terms of results.

On the other hand we are not told what to what degree the subjects were affected beforehand. I also notice that the patients were treated within 6 weeks of being diagnosed. Does this have some bearing on the efficacy, or even cast doubt on the original diagnosis?

Were the subjects picked because they were likely to produce positive results? What is the incidence of false positive diagnosis in their cases? Without wishing to throw a damp cloth over this, I think there are a lot of questions that need answering before anyone gets too excited.

[j2k4]

I understand these are not even official trials, since there have been no control subjects. That said, 14 positive results out of 15 subjects is impressive. At that sort of level the general population would seem to become the control in terms of results.

On the other hand we are not told what to what degree the subjects were affected beforehand. I also notice that the patients were treated within 6 weeks of being diagnosed. Does this have some bearing on the efficacy, or even cast doubt on the original diagnosis?

Were the subjects picked because they were likely to produce positive results? What is the incidence of false positive diagnosis in their cases? Without wishing to throw a damp cloth over this, I think there are a lot of questions that need answering before anyone gets too excited.

Right.

I remember a similar aura of excitement about the sheep thingie.

As to the "when" of it, I've never heard it said whether or not timeliness of treatment after diagnosis had any bearing; the common wisdom was that once the pancreas stopped producing islet cells, that was all she wrote.

[popopot]

I also notice that the patients were treated within 6 weeks of being diagnosed. Does this have some bearing on the efficacy, or even cast doubt on the original diagnosis?

I am not sure of the time frame for the onset of diabetes but I imagine people who have only been recently diagnosed will have a better chance of being 'cured' by the treatment rather than those that have been afflicted for a long time. I would be highly surprised if it wasn't in their plans to test the efficacy of the treatment in a wide range of patients that have had diabetes for varying lengths of time.

[Kaine]

I think whether these are adult or embryonic stems cells need to be highlighted in this thread.
These are adult stem cells, taken from your own body!

[j2k4]

I think whether these are adult or embryonic stems cells need to be highlighted in this thread.
These are adult stem cells, taken from your own body!

Well-remembered, and an important point, though calling a 14-year-old an adult is a wee stretch.

I think the aspect of self-sufficiency as to the treatment is key; the utility of all types of stem-cells is much broader than previously understood.