Type 1 Diabetes Treatment Could End Need For Insulin Shots

Type 1 diabetes treatment could end need for insulin shots

Insulin shots could become a thing of the past for type 1 diabetes patients thanks to a technology being developed by Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, a London-based not-for-profit organisation, and Aberdeen University.
The pre-clinical results have encouraged CGT and Aberdeen University to create a spin-out company, called Islexa. It will manufacture lab-grown islets, the organoids responsible for insulin production, by reprogramming donated pancreatic tissue.
Only 30-50 people with type 1 diabetes in the UK currently receive an islet transplant each year, owing to a lack of donors and the difficulty of extracting islets from pancreatic tissue.
Growing islets will “significantly increase the number of patients who can receive the treatment,” Keith Thompson, CGT’s chief executive, told the World Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine congress in London on Wednesday. He will run Islexa with Michael Bennet from CGT and Anne Lewendon from Aberdeen University.
If clinical trials are successful, the technology means tens of thousands more people could live without the need for frequent insulin injections, although it will take a few years until the treatment is available.
About 320,000 people in Britain have type 1 diabetes, a number set to more than double to 652,000 by 2035. Around the world, 21 million people have type 1 diabetes.
It is a lifelong condition that occurs when the pancreas does not produce any insulin, while type 2 diabetes – far more common, especially as obesity rises around the world – is a condition where the pancreas does not produce enough insulin o Continue reading

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'Giant leap' to type 1 diabetes cure

The hunt for a cure for type 1 diabetes has recently taken a "tremendous step forward", scientists have said.
The disease is caused by the immune system destroying the cells that control blood sugar levels.
A team at Harvard University used stem cells to produce hundreds of millions of the cells in the laboratory.
Tests on mice showed the cells could treat the disease, which experts described as "potentially a major medical breakthrough".
Beta cells in the pancreas pump out insulin to bring down blood sugar levels.
But the body's own immune system can turn against the beta cells, destroying them and leaving people with a potentially fatal disease because they cannot regulate their blood sugar levels.
It is different to the far more common type 2 diabetes which is largely due to an unhealthy lifestyle.
Perfect cocktail
The team at Harvard was led by Prof Doug Melton who began the search for a cure when his son was diagnosed 23 years ago. He then had a daughter who also developed type 1.
He is attempting to replace the approximately 150 million missing beta cells, using stem cell technology.
He found the perfect cocktail of chemicals to transform embryonic stem cells into functioning beta cells.
Tests on mice with type 1 diabetes, published in the journal Cell, showed that the lab-made cells could produce insulin and control blood sugar levels for several months.
Dr Melton said: "It was gratifying to know that we could do something that we always thought was possible.
"We are now just one pre-clinical step away from the finish line."
However, his children were not quite so im Continue reading

How To Use Manuka Honey To Fight Inflammation, Diabetes And Cancer

Honey is one of nature’s greatest gifts. As well as being a nutritious and delicious food, the golden syrup has incredible medicinal benefits.
In fact, honey has a unique set of antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antiseptic, digestive and antioxidant properties.
Not all honeys are the same. One of the most medicinal honeys available is Manuka Honey, which is currently the only medical-grade honey on the market.
What Is Manuka Honey?
Manuka honey comes from nectar collected by honeybees foraging on the manuka tree, which grows in New Zealand. It was traditionally used by the Maori people to treat wounds and burns.
To be considered potent enough to be therapeutic, manuka honey needs a minimum rating of 10 UMF (unique manuka factor). Honey at or above that level is marketed as “UMF Manuka Honey” or “Active Manuka Honey” (1).
Manuka Honey Is Well-Known For THIS…
Manuka honey is often used by doctors to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
“The unique [antibiotic] properties of honey lie in its ability to fight infection on multiple levels, making it more difficult for bacteria to develop resistance,” says Susan M. Meschwitz, Ph.D.
That is, it uses a combination of weapons, including hydrogen peroxide, acidity, osmotic effect, high sugar concentration and polyphenols — all of which actively kill bacterial cells, she explains.
The osmotic effect, which is the result of the high sugar concentration in honey, draws water from the bacterial cells, dehydrating and killing them. It may also interfere with Quorum sensing, the way by which bacteri Continue reading

Signs of Low Blood Sugar and Type 2 Diabetes

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is not just a concern for people with type 1 diabetes. Although it does not happen as often, people with type 2 diabetes also can be at risk and should be familiar with the signs of low blood sugar.
Blood sugar levels are considered too low when they drop below 70 mg/dL. Sometimes, people can experience symptoms at higher blood sugar levels, especially if their blood sugars have been elevated for an extended period of time.
When blood sugars drop below 70 mg/dL, the body may not have enough blood sugar (glucose) to provide for energy needs. If symptoms become severe without treatment or correction, low blood sugar levels can cause harm or even death. Knowing the signs and how to treat low blood sugar can help you avoid emergencies.
Increased Risks and Causes
Children, Older Adults, and Those With Hypoglycemia Unawareness
Those at higher risk for hypoglycemia include children, older adults, and those people who cannot identify low blood sugars—a term referred to as hypoglycemia unawareness. Hypoglycemia unawareness can occur if you are someone who experiences low blood sugars frequently. The frequency of low blood sugar can make the body desensitized to symptoms.The inability to feel symptoms, such as sweating, shaking, increased heart beat, anxiety or hunger, can make you incapable of treating the low which can result in unconsciousness or even death.
Therefore, it's important to know if you are at risk so that you can prevent and treat low blood sugars quickly and safely.
Certain Medications:
People taking certain medications for type 2 dia Continue reading

Genetically Engineered Insulin may CAUSE Diabetes Type 1 in Type 2 Diabetics

Just when you think GMO crops have caused enough damage as possible, there’s a new study proving their munificence to a deeper level. A new study shows that GE-created synthetic insulin could actually cause Diabetes Type 1 in Type 2 diabetics. Thank you biotech industry for creating a potentially new way to get diabetes.
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism and titled “Insulin administration may trigger type 1 diabetes in Japanese type 2 diabetes patients with type 1 diabetes high-risk HLA class II and the insulin gene VNTR genotype,” is posing a possible explanation for why insulin treatment may accelerate morbidity and mortality in Type 2 diabetics.
The research showed that administering genetically susceptible Type 2 diabetes patients with recombinant insulin can trigger their bodies to target their own insulin, producing cells for autoimmune destruction and effectively producing ‘double diabetes’: Type 1 and Type 2, as a result.
Recombinant refers to anything that is inserted with foreign DNA (molecular cloning or genetic alteration) to make a new sequence. Insulin is no different. Our bodies already make their own natural insulin, but in diabetes Type 2 patients, their pancreatic secretions are not sufficient to make enough insulin and glucagon, and therefore they end up taking insulin to balance their sugar levels.
The Study
The latest study pointing to GMO insulin as the culprit in creating diabetes Type 1 took 6 patients (4 men and 2 women) in Japan with diabetes Type 2, all whom had not previously received insulin the Continue reading