- 1. Stem cells
- 2. Nanovaccines
- 3. Pancreatic islet transplantation
- 4. Artificial pancreas
- 5. Pancreatic transplant
- 6. Microbiotic transplant
Bariatric surgery, weight control and adequate nutrition can cure type 2 diabetes, because it is acquired throughout life. However, people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, which is genetic, currently can only control the disease by eating and using insulin regularly.
To solve this problem and seek a cure for type 1 diabetes, several studies are being carried out on some possibilities that may have the desired response. See what these advances are.
1. Stem cells
Embryonic stem cells are special cells taken from the umbilical cord of a newborn baby that can be worked in the laboratory to become any other cell in the crop. Thus, by transforming these cells into cells of the pancreas, it is possible to place them in the body of the person with diabetes, allowing them to have a functional pancreas again, representing the cure of the disease.
2. Nanovaccines
Nanovacins are small spheres produced in the laboratory and much smaller than the cells in the body, which prevent the immune system from destroying the cells that produce insulin. So, when diabetes is caused by this lack of control of defense cells, nanovacins can represent the cure for this disease.
3. Pancreatic islet transplantation
Pancreatic islets are a group of cells responsible for the production of insulin in the body, which are damaged in type 1 diabetics. Transplanting these cells from a donor can bring about a cure for the disease, as the diabetic has healthy cells that produce insulin again.
This transplant is done without the need for surgery, as the cells are injected into a vein in the liver of the patient with diabetes through an injection. However, 2 or 3 donors are necessary to have a sufficient number of pancreatic islets for transplantation, and the patient who receives the donation needs to take medication for the rest of his life, so that the organism does not reject the new cells.
4. Artificial pancreas
The artificial pancreas is a thin device, the size of a CD, which is implanted in the abdomen of the diabetic and causes insulin to be produced. This device continuously calculates the amount of sugar in the blood and releases the exact amount of insulin that must be released into the bloodstream.
It is made using stem cells and will be tested on animals and humans in 2016, being a promising treatment that can be used to control the blood sugar rate of many diabetics.
5. Pancreatic transplant
The pancreas is the organ responsible for producing insulin in the body, and pancreas transplantation makes the patient have a new healthy organ, curing diabetes. However, the surgery for this transplant is complex and is only done when there is a need to transplant another organ, such as the liver or kidney.
In addition, in pancreas transplantation the patient will also need to take immunosuppressive drugs for life, so that the transplanted organ is not rejected by the body.
6. Microbiotic transplant
Stool transplantation consists of removing feces from a healthy person and passing it on to a diabetic, as this causes the patient to have a new intestinal flora, which increases the efficiency of insulin. For this procedure, the feces must be worked in the laboratory, being washed and diluted in saline solution before they can be injected in the intestine of the person who has diabetes through a colonoscopy. Thus, this technique is a good option for people with type 2 diabetes or with pre-diabetes, but it is not effective for patients with type 1 diabetes.
According to the studies, these treatments may be able to cure type 1 and type 2 diabetes, eliminating the need for insulin injections to regulate blood sugar. However, not all of these techniques are approved for humans, and the number of islet and pancreas transplants is still small. Thus, the control of the disease must be done through a diet low in sugars and carbohydrates, with the practice of physical activity and with the use of medications such as Metformin or Insulin.
Discover the insulin patch that can replace your daily insulin injections.
