Stem Cells Of Type 1 Diabetes Patients Transformed Into Insulin-Secreting Beta Cells; Research May Lead To New Therapy

For those living with Type 1 diabetes, the condition is a part of daily life. Insulin shots, blood sugar monitoring, and carb counting become routine, and patients expect them to stay so for the rest of their lives. This form of diabetes currently has no cure, something researchers have been diligently trying to change. The most recent attempt to take down diabetes comes from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Harvard University, who have managed to change stem cells derived from diabetes patients into insulin–secreting cells.
Patients with Type 1 diabetes lack the ability to create their own insulin, meaning they rely on regular injections of the hormone to control blood sugar. The study hints at a possible new therapy for patients that relies on a personalized approach — using the patients’ own cells to create new ones capable of manufacturing the insulin they need. The research, published in Nature Communications, details new cells that produce insulin when they encounter sugar in both culture and mouse trials.
“In theory, if we could replace the damaged cells in these individuals with new pancreatic beta cells — whose primary function is to store and release insulin to control blood glucose — patients with type 1 diabetes wouldn’t need insulin shots anymore,” said Dr. Jeffery R. Millman, an assistant professor of medicine and biomedical engineering at Washington university and first author of the study, in a press release. “The cells we manufactured sense the presence of glucose and secrete insulin in response. And Continue reading

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Bye Bye, Diabetes: 100 Years With This Vaccine, and We’re Finally Learning Its True Capabilities

A decades-old vaccine might have something to offer people with type 1 diabetes!
A research team at Massachusetts General Hospital is about to begin a five-year-long trial to determine whether BCG can be used in the treatment of diabetes. The life-saving vaccine has been used for nearly a century to prevent tuberculosis. However, recently it has demonstrated the it could have the ability to treat type 1 diabetes. Moreover, it might actually be able to reverse it!
The five-year trial will include 150 participants. They will receive two injections of the vaccine within four months of each other. Over the following four years, they will be given an additional BCG injection annually.
So, how does this incredible vaccine show promise for people with type 1 diabetes? In pre-trial studies, BCG was shown to destroy the blood cells that attack the pancreas and prevent it from making insulin. What’s even more amazing is that the vaccine actually increased the number of positive blood cells that repress diabetes.
Wanna learn more?
Check out the video below! Make sure to let us know what you think of this exciting new trial in the comments below!
★How Can I Help?★
Since 2004, the U.S. government has dispersed $150 million towards type 1 and type 2 diabetes-related efforts. However, to rework government budgets, Congress is now looking into transitioning funding from a three-year grant to a single-year renewable program.
Let’s speak up for type 1 diabetes research and keep the momentum going! Sign this petition to tell U.S. Senator Bill Neslon (FL), chair of the Special Committe Continue reading

Usher, Sugar Ray Leonard Help Raise Over $1M for Type 1 Diabetes Research

"We're going to find a solution. We're going to fight this. We're going to figure it out,” Usher said at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund's Imagine Gala.
Usher, Sugar Ray Leonard, Brec Bassinger, Hailee Steinfeld and James "Jimmy Jam" Harris were among the stars who stepped out on the red carpet Saturday for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund’s Imagine Gala.
The event, which took place at the Beverly Hilton, raised over $1 million in support of the research JDRF funds to find a cure for type 1 diabetes.
Usher spoke at the event about how Harris had reached out to him to perform at the gala. The singer-songwriter added, though, that he felt much more compelled to do more and speak to the audience since his son was diagnosed at the age of 5 with T1D.
“I now live with that reality — the agony of what I have to deal with alone. I feel like I’m a disappointment to my child,” said Usher. “If he’s too high, is it something that I did? Is it something I could have done better?”
Harris’ son Max was honored at the event as someone who motivates other kids and teens with the disease to live their lives as normal as possible. He continues to be active by playing sports, despite having been diagnosed with T1D at the age of 2. Now 17, Max serves as an inspiration to anyone who feels that they are limited due to diabetes.
Bassinger, also 17, has lived with T1D for almost 10 years, but didn’t fully understand what big changes were going to happen at the time. At the event, the young actress spoke about how she was able to overcome the hardships with the support of Continue reading

Type 2 Diabetes Treatment with Herbs

Diabetes is a health condition in which the body cannot produce enough insulin or it is not able to process it. Being diagnosed with diabetes means that the body is unable to process the sugar properly, and the blood glucose levels are higher than normal. In this article we will present you type 2 diabetes treatment with herbs.
Type 2 Diabetes – It is the most common type. In this case, the body does not produce insulin to regulate the blood sugar or the cells have become resistant to insulin, meaning they are unable to use it properly.
People are often not aware they have diabetes, because early diabetes symptoms sometimes seem harmless. By recognizing the early symptoms you can control the disease on time and prevent any further damage.
Here are some of the most common signs of diabetes: frequent urination, increased thirst, increased hunger, general fatigue, dark skin patches, blurry vision, itchy and dry skin.
Herbal Tea for the Type 2 Diabetes Treatment
Ingredients needed:
Preparation:
After mixing all components well, take three tablespoons of the mixture and cook them for 15 minutes in 0.5 liters of water. Remove the pot, close it with a lid and let it stay for 3 hours. Consume one dose three times a week.
How does this herbs improve your health
The leaves of the blueberry contain a glycoside extract called the plant insulin, because it is a very successful natural remedy for type 2 diabetes treatment, but first of all, you need to consult your physician and change your diet.
Blueberry is a much appreciated remedy in the traditional medicine as an addition to the a Continue reading

Napping and Diabetes: It’s Mostly Good News

It’s kind of annoying that some scientists decided to study naps. You have to know they discovered something unhealthy about them—but the news is not all bad.
An analysis of scientific napping data revealed there is no harm in napping up to 40 minutes each day. However, long naps of 60 minutes or more are associated with a 46 percent increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Scientists are unsure why extensive naps and diabetes are linked. The connection might be owed to health problems that prevent a good night’s sleep, or maybe long naps disrupt our body’s daily cycles. Whatever the connection, it seems that we are better off napping wisely.
Napping Wisdom
The Mayo Clinic cites several benefits of napping including reduced fatigue, feeling more relaxed, improved mood, and increased alertness. A nap can also enhance our performance, memory, and reaction time while reducing mistakes and accidents.
The clinic’s four recommendations for beneficial napping are:
Nap for just 10 to 30 minutes since people tend to feel groggy when they nap longer.
If possible, nap around two or three o’clock in the afternoon. Naps enjoyed mid-afternoon do not typically interfere with nighttime sleep. Mid afternoon is also when most people notice a dip in their energy or focus.
Nap in a comfortable and quiet, darkened room that is free, or nearly free, from distractions.
Allow yourself adequate time to wake up from your siesta before resuming work, or other activity.
Napping Cautions
Though some of us find naps to be delicious and rejuvenating, they are not for everyone. Some people feel wors Continue reading