Existing stem cell research and diabetes

Stem cell research and diabetes cure is an ongoing project and it is displaying great promise.Stem cell research and diabetes cure is surely an on-going project and is showing me diabetes help fantastic promise. The University of Pennsylvania is now doing clinical trials for a new surgery called Islet Cell Transplantation.

The newest procedure entails transplanting islet cells coming from a matching donor. Beta islet cells are definitely the cells from the pancreas that produce insulin. The procedure is for Type 1 diabetics whose Beta islet cells are already destroyed and thus no insulin is produced. These patients must be on insulin therapy for the remainder of their lives. Since the cells are transplanted to the liver, the body following the first transplant will give warning signs once the blood glucose is too low. Many Type 1 diabetics have no warning and frequently just black out that may be hazardous when driving or performing other essential tasks.

Islet cell transplantation cannot treat many cases of Type 2 diabetes but is a possible cure for the over 700,000 people in the United States who may have Type 1 diabetes. But, presently there are not adequate donors to go around with just approximately 3,500 donor organs available during the past year. Most patients currently need 2 transplantations to get entirely off insulin therapy.

The solution to this problem would be to make islets in the lab using stems cells. There is currently research happening using questionable embryonic stem cells together with stem cells obtained from adults. But as a result of ethical and political debate concerning stem cells this pathway into a cure is moving gradually. People who feel that life starts at conception strongly oppose embryonic stem cell research because the cells originate from human embryos which are destroyed in the process. Embryonic stem cells have not matured into human cells and have the greatest potential to grow to be any type of cells inside the human body, which includes hair, skin, blood, toenail and so forth.

Opponents for this research think that adult stem cells extracted from adult bone marrow is the answer to this issue. But you will find studies which raise questions regarding the potential of these cells as therapies.A current published study revealed that an intestinal hormone brought on stem cells taken from a pancreas to be islet cells that secrete insulin – these are generally called beta cells, there is however debate over this research and it has not had the opportunity to get reproduced.

Although the research making use of stem cells is in its infant stages quite a few scientists believe that this research supports the most promise for fulfillment for diabetics in order to quit taking insulin injection after their bodies start creating the hormone normally.Stem cell research and diabetes cure is definitely an ongoing project and is showing great promise in the struggle to look for a remedy for this serious disease.