A study performed by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, has been successful in transforming human stem cells into insulin-producing cells, according to a recent article on engadget.com.
Type-1 (T1) diabetes is caused by insulin-producing cells being destroyed as a result of an autoimmune disorder. This can lead to unregulated levels of blood sugar in the sufferer which can cause serious organ damage and even death. Regenerative medicine scientists have for many years been aware of the potential of using stem cells to regenerate insulin-producing cells, however the UCSF study is the first time actual insulin-producing cells have been produced from stem cells under laboratory conditions.
Director of the UCSF Diabetes Center Matthias Hebrok said “We can now generate insulin-producing cells that look and act a lot like the pancreatic beta cells you and I have in our bodies. This is a critical step towards our goal of creating cells that could be transplanted into patients with diabetes”.
Grace Century’s portfolio project, Provia Labs, produces the Store-A-Tooth dental stem cell storage system, which enables parents to store their children’s baby teeth for future use in regenerative medicine, for just such purposes as the treatment of T1 diabetes and many other illnesses.
Grace Century President and Director of Research Scott Wolf said “This is again more evidence that storing your child’s own young cells found in baby teeth, could be the key to opening the door to a healthier future. This is Provia Labs consistent message with regard to their Store-A-Tooth service”.
Read the full story on engadget.com here
Visit the website of our portfolio partner product Store-A-Tooth here.
