Successful Cell Transplant With No Use Of Immune Supression Drugs In “Diabetics”
October 19, 2007 by Kendra James, RN
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
With an eye on curing diabetes, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have successfully transplanted embryonic pig pancreatic cells destined to produce insulin into diabetic macaque monkeys — all without the need for risky immune suppression drugs that prevent rejection.
Wow! Pretty darn cool. Within three weeks the transplanted “primordia” cells became embedded in three of the monkeys in which they were transferred. And the kicker… they started secreting pig insulin in response to rising blood sugars just like expected in a healthy “individual”.
The primates used in the study all had type 1 diabetes. This could be huge news in aiding in the cure for diabetes. None of the monkeys had the need for ANY immune system altering medications. Yes I said NO anti-rejection meds. Huge!!!
via Science Daily
