Stem Cell Therapy May Combat Type 1 Diabetes

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"There has been use of this specific procedure in other autoimmune disease in human beings with some suggestion of promise of effect, and it's been advocated for a number of years that this kind of approach might be useful in type 1 diabetes," Skyler said.

The new study, conducted by scientists in Sao Paolo, Brazil, and in Chicago, involved 15 patients newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. All participants underwent high-dose immunosuppression therapy followed by a procedure called autologous nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHST) to preserve beta-cell function.

AHST involves removing a patient's own blood stem cells, treating them, and then returning them to the patient.

"Using bone marrow precursor cells, which are precursors of immune T-cells, is designed to reset the immune system," Skyler said. "The reason for choosing a point early in time is that you want to have enough beta cells that are still left."

During follow-up that lasted up to 36 months, 93 percent of the patients achieved some length of insulin independence. Fourteen patients became insulin free -- one for 35 months, four for at least 21 months, seven for at least six months. Two more participants who had late responses to the stem cell therapy became insulin free for one and five months, respectively.

One person developed pneumonia, and two others developed problems with their endocrine system, which governs hormones in the body.

It's unclear exactly how the stem cell transplants worked their magic. And there are still numerous questions.

"The obvious question is how long does it work and what is the risk of treatment," said Dr. Larry Deeb, president of medicine and science at the American Diabetes Association. "But the excitement is where we are in diabetes research and treatment, and the excitement some of these questions generate for people who have diabetes and for the diabetes community and for the profound argument that this is not a time to be proposing less money for research in diabetes."

More information

Visit the American Diabetes Association for more on type 1 diabetes.