Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune condition in which the patient’s immune system mistakenly identifies the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas as an enemy, and attacks and destroys them.
Insulin is known to be the primary hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. Without it, managing the disease becomes a daily challenge involving injections and constant monitoring.
One promising treatment for type 1 diabetes is the transplantation of healthy pancreatic cells to replace the damaged ones. However, the problem is that the patient's immune system rejects and attacks these new cells, forcing the doctor to prescribe immunosuppressant drugs for life. While these drugs prevent rejection, they weaken the body's defenses and make it more susceptible to illness and infections.
This is where a new study by scientists from the University of Missouri School of Medicine comes in. Instead of completely suppressing the patient's immune system, the research team decided to focus on making the transplanted cells themselves "invisible" to the immune system.
Scientists have developed a method to equip pancreatic islet cells (small clusters of cells within the pancreas that function as endocrine glands) with a "protective shield" composed of two immune-regulating molecules. The results showed that cells modified with this shield were able to survive and function normally for significantly longer than unmodified cells, without the need for immunosuppressant drugs.
Dr. Haval Sherwan, one of the study's authors, says: "We wanted to avoid the side effects of immunosuppressive drugs that affect the whole body. Instead, we focused on improving the way the transplanted cells themselves were delivered."
Dr. Esme Yolko, a researcher involved in the study, explains how this technique works, noting that two molecules were added to the transplanted pancreatic cells. The first molecule is called the protein thrombomodulin, and its role is to suppress any harmful inflammation that might begin to destroy the new cells immediately after transplantation. The second molecule is the protein CD47, which sends a signal to the immune cells telling them, "There is no danger here; do not attack."
Thanks to these two molecules together, the transplanted cells become protected from rejection by the immune system, without the need to weaken the patient's immunity with immunosuppressive drugs.
In trials conducted on preclinical (animal) models, more than 72% of recipients who received the modified pancreas cells were able to achieve normal blood sugar levels, without ever needing insulin injections.
Most importantly, these cells responded to glucose normally, meaning they automatically secreted insulin when needed, just like a healthy pancreas.
It was also found that using both molecules together was far more effective than using just one. Cells carrying both molecules showed significantly better survival rates.
If upcoming human trials are successful and prove safe and effective, type 1 diabetics may be able to eliminate daily insulin injections, avoid the side effects of immunosuppressant drugs, and control their symptoms naturally and safely.
Dr. Sherwan affirms that this method is "promising for stabilizing type 1 diabetes," while emphasizing that more research is needed to confirm its safety and effectiveness before it can be applied to humans.
