Intrapancreatic autologous stem cell therapy for type 1 diabetes – an experimental study

INTRODUCTION: Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic autoimmune condition in which the pancreas makes little or no insulin leading to resultant hyperglycemia. The incidence of type 1 diabetes in India is 0.26 per 1000 children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The author treated 25 patients with type 1 diabetes with autologous intrapancreatic stem cell therapy in the last 5 years. A group of 26 patients of type 1 diabetes with conventional treatment of insulin injections was put as a control group in the same period. RESULTS: The results of the therapy group were substantially superior to the control group, which came statistically highly significant. The variable compared were weight gain, the daily requirement of insulin and its drop after therapy, the rise of C-peptide levels and drop in anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody, drop in HbA1c levels, and drop in fasting and postprandial blood sugar. DISCUSSION: When stem cells are given intravenously, the majority are engulfed by the lungs and only a small fraction is delivered to the pancreas. When injected into the pancreas, through its arterial blood supply, due to the larger size and irregular shape of stem cells, they are retained in tissue spaces and do not escape from the venous side, thus achieving far higher concentration in the pancreas compared to the intravenous route. CONCLUSIONS: Intrapancreatic stem cell therapy for type 1 diabetes is safe, affordable, and effective. It has the potential to become a viable treatment option for type 1 diabetes patients.