Possible Cure For Diabetes

Stem cells can do a lot of things. Unfortunately you don't hear much about them. Probably because the use of them would cut doctors profits considerably.

Not exactly cheap...

..."Type of therapy: Autologous stem cell therapy, which uses your own stem cells, can cost between $5,000 and $25,000 per session. Allogeneic stem cell therapy, which uses donor cells, can cost between $20,000 and $100,000."...

A study published in the journal Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology has suggested that “We Will Rock You” by Queen could potentially help treat diabetes.

Scientists have engineered a cell that can release the hormone insulin in response to music — with the hope that these cells can eventually be implanted into those with diabetes as a replacement to their regular injections.

A better insulin-delivery for diabetics

Insulin is an essential hormone produced by the pancreas that helps the body turn food into energy and control blood sugar levels.

For diabetes patients, the body doesn’t produce enough insulin and/or it doesn’t use the insulin correctly. When this happens, too much sugar stays in the bloodstream, which can eventually lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, vision loss or kidney disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With the hope of finding a way to manage diabetes without regular injections, the scientists at ETH Zurich in Switzerland engineered implantable insulin-producing cells that patients can control outside the body — regulating when the hormone is released.

Human pancreatic beta cells, which make and release insulin, were genetically modified in a lab to respond to sound waves. Channels on the surface of the cells allow calcium particles that are circulating in the blood into the cell, and the cell releases insulin in response.

The cells needed four hours to “refill” with insulin — an activity that researchers said “would match the typical needs of people with diabetes consuming three meals a day.”

Researchers put the modified cells into a capsule made from material meant for human implantation and put it into diabetic mice.

The cells would only be activated by sound specifically targeted at it — perhaps played through a speaker placed on the patient’s abdomen — and not any ambient noise.

But what sound would work best to supercharge the cell?

Scientists played a variety of songs at different sound levels to test the insulin release in the cells. Rogers/Express/Getty Images

Queen reigned supreme over insulin-producing cells

Scientists played a variety of songs at different sound levels to test the insulin release in the cells. Classical and guitar music were somewhat provoking, while environmental sounds such as lawnmowers, as well as speech, barely moved the needle.

However, Queen’s “We Will Rock You” at a volume of 85 decibels — as loud as a food blender — prompted the strongest insulin release.

Researchers played the Queen hit during tests on mice, showing that the cells released almost 70% of their insulin within five minutes and all of it within 15 minutes — a similar rate to the natural release from pancreatic cells.

When they played the Queen hit “We Will Rock You” at a volume of 85 decibels, it resulted in the strongest insulin release. Richard E. Aaron/Redferns

Meanwhile, the mice without the implant still had high blood sugar. Blood sugar levels also remained high when the music was played too far away.

Plans are now being made to conduct similar studies with human subjects, researchers said.

With the study in its early stages and tests for humans planned, it’s currently unclear if the researchers have gotten to investigate real-world implications. The Post has reached out for further comment.

OK I'm game, let's try it...

Is there information about how they stopped the immune system of the recipient from attacking these new insulin releasing cells?

I'm not sure, but suspect that the immune response is rather slow, as the onset for Type 1 sufferers is not like getting the flu, but more like a deterioration that might progress over two years or more.

Well these stem cells were taken and propagated from the patient themselves, so no reason for the immune system to attack, not like donated material....I like the idea that if you donate your own cells they can propagate more cells indefinitely....seems you could have an endless supply of stem cells to repair genetic damage over the years for every organ from just that one donation...that appeals to me...maybe someday everyone will have a stem cell bank account, that they can draw from time to time, to stay in good health...kind like that now, in a way....

Fundamentally, type 1 diabetes is the outcome of an autoimmune (self-immune) response where the immune system of the patient attacks the pancreatic (Insulin producing) cells of the patient.

Thus, donated stem cells from that same person would still seem targets for the persons own immune system as caused the initial failure (in most cases).

There are rare cases where external damage causes pancreas failure - conceded.

That process (of pancreas failure) seems to take place over around 2 years or so.

I am curious how the autoimmune response is being managed, or whether maybe the researchers believe that the autoimmune response has simply "forgotten" to recognise those cells.

Yes I believe most patients do receive immunosuppressant drugs for this reason, I do know they are working on altering the cells to avoid this reaction but don't think it is in use yet...

Last year, Vertex launched another trial in which islet cells derived from donated stem cells were placed in a device designed to protect them from immune-system attacks. It was transplanted into a person with type 1 diabetes, who did not receive immunosuppressants. “That trial is ongoing,” says Shapiro, who is involved in running the study, which aims to enroll 17 individuals....

Immune-Protective Formulations and Process Strategies for Improved Survival and Function of Transplanted Islets

https://actu.epfl.ch/news/the-switch-that-keeps-the-immune-system-from-attac/

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2024/04/experimental-type-1-diabetes-drug-shelters-pancreas-cells-from-immune-system-attack