Beijing: A woman suffering from type 1 diabetes in China has cured the chronic disease by treating her with cells taken from her own body.
In this successful treatment, these cells were transformed into specialized stem cells which were then used to grow clusters of fresh ‘islets’. These ‘islets’ produce hormones in the pancreas and liver that help control the amount of sugar in the body.
A 25-year-old woman living in Tianjin said she can now eat sweets. The researchers said that the woman’s body has been successfully making its own insulin for more than a year.
This treatment has been described by other experts as amazing and powerful. The treatment builds on the success achieved in April in Shanghai.
A team of Chinese researchers received formal approval for the treatment in June last year and continued treatment with the transplant.
The woman was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 11 years ago and has since undergone two liver transplants and one failed pancreatic islet cell transplant.