People with diabetes have to follow a strict diet and regular insulin shots, which reduces the amount of glucose in the blood. Researchers from the University of Washington found a more simple and long-term method of controlling the glucose, they forced the stem cells to turn into beta cells that produce insulin on their own, naturally. Sounds promising, because people can at least temporarily forget about the need for injections or even cured, but new technology can cause other problems.
Scientists already known a method of turning skin cells into so-called induced stem cells IPS, which may take the form of any other cell in the body. Researchers were able to turn them into beta cells, but they worked as scientists put it, it was like a fire hydrant or creating too much insulin, or not doing it at all.
The study’s author Jeffrey Millman announced that they finally managed to find a recipe that produces cells with optimal insulin production. The effectiveness of the new cell was tested in mice-diabetics — they could not produce insulin on their own, but injected cells were able to provide them the same amount of the substance, which much improved their condition. Most importantly, the production continued for several months in a row, so the mice did not require injections. It was also noted that created by beta cells in organisms with diabetes were more active than the same cells in the body healthy people.
It would seem that such a technology is an urgent need to apply on people and ease their life, but it’s too dangerous. The fact that the introduction of new cells necessary to weaken the immunity of the body to not reject them — it’s too dangerous idea in relation to people. But scientists already know how to solve this problem:
First, cells can be enclosed in something like a gel with pores small enough to prevent the penetration of immune cells, but large enough to allow the insulin to come out. Another idea is to use the editing tools to change the genes of the genes of beta cells so that they could “hide” from the immune system after implantation.
Will these two solutions to the problem of effective — time will tell. Fortunately, the development of tools from diabetes and doing the other groups of scientists. For example, in September last year they found that to cure a disease can simply by blocking a single protein.
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