Context:

Chinese scientists have achieved a significant breakthrough by successfully treating a patient with Type 1 diabetes through a stem cell transplant using chemically induced pluripotent stem cells (CiPSCs).

About Chemically Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (CiPSCs)

• CiPSCs are derived from a patient’s own cells and can be reprogrammed to become functional beta cells, which produce insulin. 
• In the case of Type 1 diabetes, researchers created CiPSCs from the patient, and then transplanted these reprogrammed cells into her body. 
• This allowed her pancreas to start producing insulin again, leading to improved blood glucose levels and a significant reduction in her need for insulin injections.

Risks and Challenges of Using CiPSCs in Diabetes Treatment

• Immune Rejection: Although CiPSCs are patient-specific, the body may see newly created beta cells as foreign, leading to immune responses that might require immunosuppressive drugs, increasing infection risks.
• Tumor Formation: If stem cells do not fully differentiate, they may grow uncontrollably, raising the risk of tumours.
• Long-Term Functionality: Beta cells derived from CiPSCs may face stress and ageing, reducing their insulin production over time, necessitating further research on their long-term effectiveness.

About Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or the body cannot use insulin effectively. 

• Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels.

Types of Diabetes:

Type 1 Diabetes:

• Known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes.
• Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong autoimmune disease that prevents the pancreas from making insulin.
• It is characterized by little to no insulin production and requires daily insulin injections.
• This type often develops in children or young adults but can occur at any age.

Type 2 Diabetes:

• Type 2 diabetes affects how the body uses sugar (glucose) for energy. 
• It can result from the pancreas not producing enough insulin or the body not using insulin properly (insulin resistance).
• While it usually affects older adults, it is increasingly common in children.

Type 1.5 Diabetes:

• Type 1.5 diabetes, also known as LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults), is similar to Type 1, involving an immune response against insulin-producing cells but develops more slowly. 
• People with LADA often do not need insulin immediately but they may develop a need for it over time.
• Type 2 diabetes is much more common than Type 1, accounting for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Only about 5-10% of people with diabetes have Type 1.