Lao Li, 59 years old this year, has been battling diabetes for 25 years, and later suffered from uremia, and had a kidney transplant in 2017. But this diabetes is not easy to deal with, Lao Li has to take several injections of insulin every day, no, the doctor said, Lao Li's situation, the risk of complications in the future is great!
Lao Li was worried all day long, for fear that one day he would lose sight, or have his leg amputated or something. In 2021, Lao Li heard that Shanghai Changzheng Hospital had a new technology that could use stem cells to create pancreatic islets and treat diabetes, so Lao Li immediately went.
Hey, don't tell me, this new technology really works! Lao Li has only been doing the transplant for 11 weeks, so he no longer needs to take insulin, and even the hypoglycemic drugs have slowly stopped. It's been 33 months now, Lao Li's blood sugar has been well controlled, his kidney function is normal, and he is more energetic! Is stem cell technology really that magical? How exactly did it help Lao Li get rid of diabetes?
01
Stem cells: the seeds of life
Stem cells, like a seed with infinite possibilities, have the ability to self-renew and differentiate into multiple cell types. They can differentiate into various functional cells, such as nerve cells, muscle cells, blood cells, etc., according to the needs of the body, so as to repair damaged tissues, replace senescent cells, and maintain the normal functioning of the body.
The stem cell family is large and has many members, the most notable of which are embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells, as the name suggests, come from early embryos and have unlimited potential to differentiate into various cells, which can be called the "all-rounder" in the cell world. The other, adult stem cells, are hidden in all corners of our body, such as bone marrow, fat, skin and other tissues, although they are not as versatile as embryonic stem cells, but under certain conditions, they can also transform into various types of cells, contributing to tissue repair and regeneration.
In recent years, scientists have also developed induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS cell) technology. This technology can "reverse" adult cells into stem cells, allowing them to regain their potential to differentiate into various cell types. iPS cell technology has opened up a new path for the development of regenerative medicine and brought new hope for the treatment of a variety of diseases.
It is precisely because of these miraculous properties of stem cells that it has shown great potential in the field of regenerative medicine, bringing new hope for the treatment of a variety of diseases.
02
Autologous regeneration islets: a tailored treatment plan
For diabetic patients with impaired islet function like Lao Li, autologous regenerative islet transplantation is like a tailor-made treatment plan. Doctors will first extract blood cells from the patient's own blood, such as the common peripheral blood mononuclear cells in our blood, scientists have a way to use some special techniques to transform them into "pluripotent cells" with infinite possibilities, that is, induced pluripotent stem cells, referred to as iPS cells.
Next, scientists will use specific culture conditions and inducing factors to further induce iPS cells to differentiate into pancreatic islet cells. These newly generated islet cells have a similar function to the body's own islet cells, secreting insulin and regulating blood sugar levels.
Since these islet cells are derived from the patient's own origin, there is no rejection, making them safer and more effective. Compared with traditional islet transplantation, autologous regenerative islet transplantation does not require donor dependence and long-term immunosuppressive drugs, which greatly reduces the risk and cost of treatment.
The success of autologous regenerative islet transplantation is like a light in the darkness, illuminating the future path of diabetes treatment and injecting new vitality into the development of regenerative medicine. With the continuous improvement of stem cell technology, in the future, we are expected to use it to overcome more diseases that are currently helpless, bring more benefits to human health, and open up infinite possibilities for life.
03
Break Free from Insulin Dependence: Get Back to a Healthy Life
After successful autologous regenerative islet transplantation, the patient's own islet function will be restored, thus getting rid of insulin dependence. This means that they can live like a normal person and no longer have to endure the pain of insulin injections multiple times a day and no longer have to worry about the risk of various complications that come with blood sugar fluctuations.
The transplanted islet cells are able to sense changes in blood sugar levels and secrete insulin as needed to keep blood sugar within the normal range. This will not only effectively prevent the occurrence of diabetes complications, but also improve the quality of life of patients, allowing them to regain a healthy body and a positive mindset.
In addition, autologous regenerative islet transplantation can also avoid the rejection and immunosuppressant side effects associated with traditional islet transplantation. Traditional islet transplantation requires lifelong immunosuppressants to prevent the body from rejecting the foreign islet cells. Immunosuppressants can bring a series of side effects, such as increasing the risk of infection, affecting liver and kidney function, and so on.
Autologous regenerative islet transplantation has brought new hope to diabetic patients and allowed them to see the possibility of a cure. The successful application of this technology has also opened up a new path for the development of regenerative medicine, which is expected to be applied to the treatment of more diseases in the future.
04
The Future of Regenerative Medicine: Hope for More Diseases
The success of autologous regenerative islet transplantation has brought new hope for the treatment of diabetes and opened up a new path for the development of regenerative medicine. In the future, with the continuous advancement of stem cell technology, we are expected to use stem cells to treat more diseases that are currently incurable, bringing more benefits to human health.
In addition to diabetes, stem cell technology has shown great potential for application in other fields. For example, stem cells can be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, as well as organ failure diseases such as heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, etc.
In addition, stem cells can also be used to repair damaged tissues and organs, such as burned skin, broken bones, and more. Scientists are actively exploring the application of stem cells in tissue engineering and organ reconstruction, hoping to use stem cell technology to create artificial organs and solve the problem of insufficient organ transplant donors.
The development of regenerative medicine is inseparable from the support of basic research. In the future, we need to further study the biological characteristics and regulatory mechanisms of stem cells, and develop more efficient and safe stem cell preparation and application technologies, so as to truly apply the results of regenerative medicine to the clinic and benefit more patients.