Stem Cell Research

Scientists are investigating the therapeutic potential of stem cells as a research tool to better understand and develop treatments for diseases that afflict more than 100 million Americans, including diabetes, cancer, heart disease, spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and other debilitating conditions.

JDRF believes it is important to pursue research on all stem cell sources that could potentially lead the type 1 research community to a cure for the disease and its complications. The more knowledge gained about all sources of stem cells, the better scientists can assess their full therapeutic potential for those living with type 1 diabetes.

Scientists continue to pursue several different avenues of stem cell research that are yielding a variety of promising insights. This critical research includes:

Human Embryonic Stem Cells

First isolated in 1998, human embryonic stem cells are obtained from surplus human embryos, which are created through in vitro fertilization, will never be implanted for fetal development, and would otherwise be discarded. Embryonic stem cells are 'pluripotent,' meaning they can differentiate into any cell type in the body. In a laboratory, they can be kept in their 'undifferentiated' (unspecialized) state for long periods of time before developing into specialized cells from various organ systems.

There have been several notable stem cell advances in the diabetes field over the past years. In 2008 type 1 diabetes researchers discovered the development of immature beta cells from embryonic stem cells that were eventually capable of producing insulin and reversing diabetes in mice. By coaxing these cells into insulin-secreting cells that could be transplanted into patients with type 1 diabetes, scientists could eliminate the need for patients with type 1 diabetes to inject insulin.

Scientists have only begun to investigate the therapeutic potential of embryonic stem cells in the study of disease processes and the development of techniques that may have applications in treating numerous diseases. These finding will continue to help scientists better understand and develop new therapies for type 1 diabetes.

Adult Stem Cells

Adult stem cells are found in small quantities in organ systems that need a constant supply of new cells, such as blood, skin, brain and the gastrointestinal tract. Adult stem cells serve to repair and maintain the body's tissue and are generally capable of developing only into the cells of the organ system from which they are derived.

Scientists have isolated adult stem cells in the mouse pancreas, and additional research may show that these adult stem cells can be made to produce insulin. To date, however, adult pancreatic stem cells have not been discovered in humans, although research involving the use of stem cells has taken place in the U.S. for about 50 years.

Scientists continue to seek ways to make adult stem cells more versatile and able to produce cells for a variety of organ systems. For example, research has shown the potential for adult stem cells found in the placenta and umbilical cord blood to differentiate into other cell types.

Reprogramming and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

First performed in 2007, reprogramming is a research technique used to generate induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from mature body cells and to 'reprogram' body cells from one mature form to another. In September 2008 researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were able to generate insulin-secreting cells from human skin cells. After turning the skin cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, the researchers reprogrammed the cells to produce insulin. These reprogrammed cells not only secreted an insulin component but also produced insulin in response to glucose, raising the possibility that patient-specific stem cells derived from reprogramming could provide a treatment for type 1 diabetes.

Researchers continue to work on coaxing the development of iPS cells and directly reprogrammed cells into large numbers of glucose responsive insulin-secreting cells that could be transplanted into patients with diabetes. Although reprogramming research holds much potential for allowing scientists an alternative way to produce embryonic stem cells, the research is very much in its early stages.

Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is an alternative method of producing embryonic stem cells that researchers continue to investigate. In SCNT scientists remove the nucleus of an unfertilized egg and replace it with the nucleus of an adult cell. After the egg is stimulated to divide, researchers can derive from it new embryonic stem cell lines that are generally identical to the patient. Though there has been success in using this process with animal cells, SCNT has not yet produced human embryonic stem cells.

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