Approaching a Cure for Type 1 Diabetes?
-
One hundred years ago, teenager Leonard Thompson was the first patient with type 1 diabetes to be successfully treated with insulin, granting him a reprieve from what was a certain death sentence at the time. Since then, research has gathered pace. In the century since insulin's discovery and first use, recombinant DNA technology has allowed for the engineering of the insulin molecule, providing numerous short- and long-acting analog versions. At the same time, technological leaps in automated insulin delivery and monitoring of blood glucose ensure more time with glucose in range and fewer life-threatening complications for those with type 1 diabetes fortunate to have access to the technology.
-
@debangana In spite of these advancements, there is still scope for further evolution of disease management, with the holy grail being the transplant of stem cell-derived islet cells capable of making insulin, ideally encased in some kind of protective device so that immunosuppression is not required.