Amazing Stem Cell Treatment for Diabetes

November 30, 2011 by admin
Filed under Diabetes, Health & Fitness

If recent research continues along its promising path, stem cells from women’s uteruses might turn out to be the “mother” of all treatments for type 1 diabetes — eliminating the need for patients (men as well as women) to inject themselves with insulin!

A group of scientists from Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, has converted endometrial stem cells harvested from the base of adult female uteruses into cells that produce insulin. It’s possible that this will turn out to be a major breakthrough for the roughly three million Americans who have type 1 diabetes (meaning that their bodies don’t produce insulin). I contacted Hugh S. Taylor, MD, lead researcher of the study (published in the August 30, 2011 issue of Molecular Therapy) and a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale to learn more about this intriguing new application for stem cells.

While there are new technologies that are fairly easy to use to treat type 1 diabetes (like insulin pens and pumps), people who don’t naturally produce insulin still have to spend lots of time monitoring their blood sugar and need several injections of varying amounts a day.

But even with these advances, insulin injection remains inexact and inefficient, said Dr. Taylor. “Glucose levels change so rapidly that no amount of monitoring allows diabetics to inject insulin at the precise times they need it,” he explained.

ABOUT THE RESEARCH

Dr. Taylor and his fellow researchers extracted the uterine stem cells from adult women and treated them with special nutrients and growth factors (indolactam and exendin) that earlier studies had shown would transform the cells into insulin producers. These new-and-improved cells were then injected into eight mice with type 1 diabetes, while six other mice with type 1 diabetes were injected with placebo cells.

After five weeks, none of the mice that got the new insulin-producing cells developed diabetic problems — their blood sugar didn’t rise any higher, and they started producing insulin. In contrast, blood sugar levels in all of the mice who received placebo cells continued to rise (above 220 mg/dL) and they also began to develop some of the common complications of diabetes that are so destructive, specifically cataracts and fatigue. While the mice with the insulin-producing cells were still considered diabetic, they were clearly in far better shape than their placebo-treated counterparts, and Dr. Taylor told me that he believes that injecting more such insulin-producing cells into them might even lower their blood sugar and make their diabetes actually go away.

COMING SOON TO A DOCTOR NEAR YOU?

Dr. Taylor seems quite optimistic that human beings will react well to this new therapy, too. He believes that we could see treatments based on this technique within three to four years but noted that this depends, of course, on the outcome of research that is currently underway. Thus far, no dangerous or harmful side effects have been identified. Though it is possible that people will need repeat stem cell injections (perhaps every few months or every few years), the stem cells are inexpensive to produce and the injections can be given directly into the skin in a process so simple that it can be done in a doctor’s office. This is a promising development to be watched.

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Source(s):

Hugh S. Taylor, MD, chief of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, director, Yale Center for Reproductive Biology and professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.

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Tags: Adult Women, Diabetes Insulin, Dr Taylor, Exendin, Fellow Researchers, Glucose Levels, Growth Factors, health, Insulin Injection, Insulin Pens, New Haven Connecticut, Obstetrics Gynecology, Precise Times, Promising Path, Reproductive Sciences, Stem Cells, Taylor Md, Type 1 Diabetes, Uteruses, Yale University School, Yale University School Of Medicine

Diabetes and Exercise

March 1, 2009 by admin
Filed under Diabetes, Health & Fitness

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There are two main types of diabetes, type I and type II. Type I diabetes is characterized by the pancreas making too little or no insulin. An individual with diabetes type I will have to inject insulin throughout the day in order to control glucose levels. Type II diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes, is characterized by the pancreas not producing enough insulin to control glucose levels or the cells not responding to insulin. When a cell does not respond to insulin, it is known as insulin resistance. When a subject is diagnosed with type II diabetes, exercise and weight control are prescribed as measures to help with insulin resistance. If this does not control glucose levels, then medication is prescribed. The risk factors for type II diabetes include: inactivity, high cholesterol, obesity, and hypertension. Inactivity alone is a very strong risk factor that has been proven to lead to diabetes type II. Exercise will have a positive effect on diabetes type II while improving insulin sensitivity while type I cannot be controlled be an exercise program. Over 90% of individuals with diabetes have type II.

Exercise causes the body to process glucose faster, which lowers blood sugar. The more intense the exercise, the faster the body will utilize glucose. Therefore it is important to understand the differences in training with type I and type II diabetes. It is important for an individual who has diabetes to check with a physician before beginning an exercise program. When training with a diabetic, it is important to understand the dangers of injecting insulin immediately prior to exercise. An individual with type I diabetes injecting their normal amount of insulin for a sedentary situation can pose the risk of hypoglycemia or insulin shock during exercise. General exercise guidelines for type I are as follows: allow adequate rest during exercise sessions to prevent high blood pressure, use low impact exercises and avoid heavy weight lifting, and always have a supply of carbohydrates nearby. If blood sugar levels get too low, the individual may feel shaky, disoriented, hungry, anxious, become irritable or experience trembling. Consuming a carbohydrate snack or beverage will alleviate these symptoms in a matter of minutes.

Before engaging in exercise, it is important for blood sugar levels to be tested to make sure that they are not below 80 to 100 mg/dl range and not above 250 mg/dl. Glucose levels should also be tested before, during, after and three to five hours after exercise. During this recovery period (3-5 hours after exercise), it is important for diabetics to consume ample carbohydrates in order to prevent hypoglycemia.

Exercise will greatly benefit an individual with type II diabetes because of its positive effects on insulin sensitivity. Proper exercise and nutrition are the best forms of prevention for type II diabetics. It is important for training protocols to be repeated almost daily to help with sustaining insulin sensitivity. To prevent hypoglycemia, progressively work up to strenuous activity.

As with individuals with type I diabetes, carbohydrates should also be present during training to assist in raising blood sugar levels if the individual becomes low.

For more info on Diabetes visit:
http://www.bruisedonion.com/guide/diabetes/

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