The growing popularity of this stem cell therapy is giving larger hope for people to treat various health-related problems. One of them we are going to talk about here is Type 1 diabetes Stem cell treatments have been showing promising results for people facing diabetes type 1.
This is because the stem cells derived from the umbilical cord that has reduced the chances of having an insulin deficiency. They can generate islet cells that produce and secret insulin, thus reducing the requirement of taking insulin.
The major benefits of this stem cell therapy for diabetes are that it can provide long-term benefits, thus reducing the chances of requiring any other treatment.
Diabetes Type 1
Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune condition in which the pancreas may produce lesser to no insulin at all. This makes you dependent on external insulin. In this condition, our body mistakenly identifies the insulin-producing cells i.e. the beta cells to be a foreign object.
Thus, the immune system starts to destroy it resulting in no insulin production. This may go on for years if not diagnosed, resulting in diabetes type 1.
However, according to the research, if we target the tiny blood vessels that provide oxygen to the pancreas, then it is possible to regenerate tissue, promotes the growth of new vessel, and thus improves the chances of insulin production.
This can be done with the help of mesenchymal stem cells that are derived from the umbilical cord, as they can repair the pancreatic tissue and regenerate insulin-producing cells.
Stem Cell For Type 1 Diabetes
Mesenchymal stem cells are found to be very useful to regulate fibrosis and tissue regeneration, modulating the immune system, and produce various molecules that are useful in treating type 1 diabetes.
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Mesenchymal stem cells have this immunomodulatory property that helps to suppress the immune response that destroys the beta cells. This also means that mesenchymal stem cells not only prevent the destruction of beta cells but also helps to replace them with new one.
On the other side, stem cells can promote the formation of blood vessels by releasing proteins like the essential fibroblast growth factor and VGEF. They also regulate the immune system by moving the areas of inflammation and changing the characteristics of cells like dendritic cells, T cells, B cells, and natural killer cells.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes is a chronic condition where the blood sugar level increases in the blood due to the body’s inability to use insulin properly.
In this condition, the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells do not respond to the insulin leading to an increase in the blood sugar level. This can lead to various health problems if left untreated.
Stem Cells for Diabetes
Stem cells once introduced into the patient’s body migrate to the damaged tissue, differentiate into new B-cells, and maintain a good level of B-cells in the body. Stem cells are all lab-grown and are induced to become insulin-producing cells.
These cells will indirectly restore all the diminished cells. Therefore, stem cells are beneficial for treating both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. They are also the safest option than any other treatment.
