A possible new treatment for diabetes sufferers could be on the horizon as scientists flag a promising next step.
The breakthrough could potentially eliminate the need for daily insulin shots in the future.
Diabetes is a chronic illness which occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin— the hormone that regulates blood sugar.
Researchers have been able to alter stem cells from the pancreas of a Type 1 diabetes donor by using cancer drugs to ‘activate’ dormant cells, which were then able to produce insulin.
Dr Keith Al-Hasani from Monash’s department of diabetes said while a potential treatment utilising this research is still far away, it’s a step towards helping diabetics better manage the condition.
“To remake insulin in their own body in their own pancreas instead of having to take something like an insulin injection,” he said.
“This is a big breakthrough because there are over 500 million people that suffer from diabetes.”
He said with the escalating rate of Type 2 diabetes diagnoses world wide, finding a manageable cure is becoming more urgent.
“This represents an important step along the way to devising a lasting treatment that might be applicable for all types of diabetes.”
Dr Ishant Khurana said if future human trials are successful, it could significantly reduce the burden on people treating the disease.
“The big picture is to prevent people from using insulin daily,” he said.
Type 1 diabetes patient Simon McRudden said this kind of development would be life-changing.
“I’ve never known anything except diabetes and managing it,” he said.
“I inject four times a day.
“I have a long-lasting injection in the morning at 8am and then I have injections with each meal.
“That’s the holy grail isn’t it— If we can get to a point where diabetics don’t have to inject that would be amazing.”
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