Reports of a single injection cure for diabetes are premature
Summary
How close are we to developing a single injection cure for diabetes? Dr Ken Paterson responds to a media article which could have raised false expectations and provides an overview in developments in diabetes research.
Key Points
- Diabetes mellitus (Type 1 diabetes) is due to a failure of insulin secretion by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans (small groups of cells scattered throughout the pancreas which secrete insulin and glucagon).
- Insulin has to be given by injections in treating diabetes mellitus, and avoiding the need for this would be a major advance.
- Implantation of islets of Langerhans isolated from human pancreases into patients can be done, but success rates for this transplant remain low, donor organs are in short supply and immunosuppressive therapy is needed.
- Bioengineering of cells other than beta cells, including stem cells, to detect the blood glucose (‘sugar’) concentration and respond by making insulin as required, remains a subject for laboratory research.
- Major advances in this area are unlikely, but current treatments of diabetes mellitus to give best control of the blood glucose and to prevent long-term damage to the blood vessels gives good results.
Declaration of interests: No conflict of interests declared
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