Political Crossfire Forums

[learn to swim]

MAN CURED OF DIABETES

[learn to swim]

Filed: 03/09/2005

A groundbreaking cell transplant procedure has 'cured' a diabetic patient after 30 years of living with the illness.

Richard Lane, a 61-year-old businessman from Bromley, Kent, is the first person in the UK to have a fully successful islet cell transplantation in a patient with Type 1 diabetes.

Mr Lane said that he had never felt better. "I have to pinch myself to ensure I am not dreaming," he said.

A team at King's College Hospital, London performed three transplants of islet cells from the pancreases of dead donors.

During his illness, Mr Lane suffered one black-out while driving, injuring his spine and needing major surgery.

He has not had one attack since the first transplant and will be off insulin, which he has taken since 1976, in a few days.

"My wife used to dread me going out of the front door in case there was a call from the ambulance service. I am now doing half an hour's brisk walk every day, and I have lost a stone and a half in six months. I am rather pleased with myself.

Past islet transplants have produced partial successes, by reducing the amount of insulin that patients need although they still required regular injections.

Canadian researchers were the first to achieve insulin independence, now followed by the King's College team.

Researcher Professor Stephanie Amiel, a consultant in diabetes, said the breakthrough was "hugely exciting".

"The implications for the future are enormous.

"Eventually this could mean the end of insulin dependence for all Type 1 diabetes sufferers."


Story Link

[thundertaker]

To be honest, I'm surprised it took so long for the concept of transplanting pancreatic tissue into diabetics to be realised when we've had heart, liver and kidney transplants for years........

[John Galt]

The concept has been around for a long time... here is an except from a paper I wrote on stem cell research....

Using fetal pancreatic tissue, researchers have shown it is possible to regenerate the human islets that are destroyed by the human autoimmune disease diabetes 1 (Beattie, G.M., 1997). Unfortunately, many of these cells were short lived when grafted and did not proliferate (Hayek, A., 1997). This does, however, open up doors for future research with fetal stem cells. Cadaver pancreatic islet cells have also been harvested in mice and have shown to produce insulin after transplant to live mice (Dufayet de la Tour, D., 2001). These cells, however, produced less insulin than is normal, but it is within one order of magnitude (Ibid). And finally, embryonic stem cells have been coaxed into differentiating into insulin producing cells in mice, giving hope for humans (Soria, B., 2000). It is currently being developed for use in humans, by allowing only insulin-producing embryonic cells that have differentiated to survive in culture (Schuldiner, M., 2000). Other experiments that allowed embryonic stem cells to clump together as they normally would have shown that they start to produce insulin early in development (Assady, S., 2001). Taken all together, a cure for diabetes using stem cells from a variety of sources may be soon on the way. But we must remember that unless we can generate pure lines of cells that can be transplanted and not rejected by the patient, this will not happen. This is why the best hope still lies in embryonic stem cells, where pure lines of cells can be created where the MHC proteins can be manipulated to the point they are inconsequential and transplantation can easily be facilitated (Osorio, R.W., 1993).

[psholtz]

The concept of eating right and regular exercise has been around for a long time too.. although once diabetes reaches the stage insulin-dependence you're kinda screwed..

but I have seen pre-diabetic people turn their health around by eating right and exercising regularly.. it can work wonders, really! :-D

[learn to swim]

thundertaker wrote: To be honest, I'm surprised it took so long for the concept of transplanting pancreatic tissue into diabetics to be realised when we've had heart, liver and kidney transplants for years........

It has been happening for years but with little to no success. Canada broke through a few years ago and did the first cure which set the standard for everyone else to go forward with.

This is very near and dear to me as my mom is type 1 and so is my neice.
I once got to see Newt Gingrich speak about diabetes and it was very enlightening. He made the point that most problems in elderly people (blindness, lack of circulation, etc.) are because of diabetes so finding a cure will not only reduce health care costs for the elderly, it will also allow them to live longer and fuller lives.

I guess I never thought of it that way. You can live with diabetes but the toll it takes on your other organs leads to other serious problems.


I hope they cure this in the next 10 years as it breaks my heart to think of my niece living her whole life depending on a needle.

[learn to swim]

psholtz wrote: The concept of eating right and regular exercise has been around for a long time too.. although once diabetes reaches the stage insulin-dependence you're kinda screwed..

but I have seen pre-diabetic people turn their health around by eating right and exercising regularly.. it can work wonders, really! :-D


And for those BORN with it? :roll: Type 1 and Type 2 are very different and you should really read up on it before you start making generalizations.

[John Galt]

psholtz wrote: The concept of eating right and regular exercise has been around for a long time too.. although once diabetes reaches the stage insulin-dependence you're kinda screwed..

but I have seen pre-diabetic people turn their health around by eating right and exercising regularly.. it can work wonders, really! :-D

This is type one diabetes. Their cells attack and kill the islet cells in the panceras due to a mutation and they cannot produce insulin. Type 2 daibetes comes in later in life, from not eating right.

[John Galt]

Heres a Q&A about it on the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4332163.stm

[learn to swim]

John Galt wrote: Heres a Q&A about it on the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4332163.stm

Quote: Japanese researchers recently said they successfully transplanted islet cells from a living donor.


That is promising. I would gladly be a donor for my family members who have it. Hell, I would give my whole panceras for my niece and be insulin dependent for the rest of my life just to give her the freedom from it.

[John Galt]

learn to swim wrote: John Galt wrote: Heres a Q&A about it on the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4332163.stm

Quote: Japanese researchers recently said they successfully transplanted islet cells from a living donor.


That is promising. I would gladly be a donor for my family members who have it. Hell, I would give my whole panceras for my niece and be insulin dependent for the rest of my life just to give her the freedom from it.

From another place in my paper...

Quote: Pure stem cell lines made in a laboratory for use in transplantation may be the best hope for many people suffering from autoimmune diseases. Since hematopoietic stem cells from bone marrow and cord blood do not propagate as long as embryonic stem cells, it is in embryonic stem cell research that the best hope for cures lie. These expressed genetic combinations (i.e., proteins) that result in incompatibility between donors and receivers of transplants are referred to as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). It is theoretically possible to generate a universal donor embryonic stem cell line by genetic removal or alteration of the MHC proteins. This has been accomplished in mice by so that there is little or no expression of the MHC proteins, allowing transplants to occur in any mouse (Osorio, R.W., 1993).

The MHC protiens need to be similar. They stick out on the cells so that the body can differentiate between self and non-self (and kill invading bacteria cells, for example). But like I said, they are working to create cells that could be universally accepted. They could then theoritically have any kind of cell you want.. and grow body parts, like islet cells....

[learn to swim]

Very promosing. I hope it becomes reality soon.