News: Stem cell therapy implant may reduce need of insulin shots for type 1 diabetes, study shows

Using tiny implants filled with lab-grown pancreatic cells (known as VC-02), researchers found the need for insulin shots among people with type 1 diabetes was significantly reduced, according to a new study published in Nature Biotechnology. The experimental cell therapy was developed by the biotechnology company ViaCyte and is a device about the size of a small bandage that delivers a steady supply of insulin to the body, which researchers implanted just beneath the skin, Medscape Medical News reported.

The study involved 10 people who could not produce insulin naturally and measured their blood sugar range through the course of a year. After six months with the implant, three showed significant improvement and had clear signs of insulin production that stayed steady for the rest of the study’s period. At its conclusion, one person spent more time in the target blood sugar range than out of it and showed a 44% reduction in their need for extra daily insulin.

A previous study in 2021 showed that such an approach can help the human body provide insulin. The latest study built off these findings while also increasing the number of devices implanted for each person and improving the design to help increase survival of the lab-grown cells. Type one diabetes is related to several other health complications (e.g., blindness, kidney problems, limb loss, increased risk of heart attack or stroke, etc.), so its cure could have far-reaching impact for individuals. Currently, however, the technology failed to normalize blood glucose levels and would need further studies with larger test groups to confirm.

“The hope is to get these cells strong enough to help stop requiring insulin injections altogether,” David Thompson, MD, principal investigator at the Vancouver trial site and clinical director of the Vancouver General Hospital Diabetes Centre, told Medscape Medical News. “I believe this is going to turn into a cure as soon as 2024.”

Editor’s note: To read Medscape Medical News’ coverage of this story, click here. To read the new study, click here.