Stem cell research is heralding a new age of possible medical treatments as scientists use them to grow transplantable cells and organs. Now, it appears those new treatments might include one for type 2 diabetes.
Existing research has already found avenues to treat type 1 diabetes. This less-common, early-onset form of diabetes occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas,often while fighting an infection elsewhere in the body. By using stem cells, doctors can grow new insulin-producing cells to replace those that the pancreas has lost.
However, type 2 diabetes – which makes up 90 percent of diabetes cases worldwide – is harder to treat. It typically occurs in adults as a result of excess weight or hormonal imbalances.
While people with type 2 diabetes do lose some of their insulin-producing cells, their primary problem is elsewhere. Their cells have become resistant to insulin. Although insulin is present in the body, the cell scan no longer use insulin to keep blood sugar levels in check. Simply regrowing the missing insulin-producing cells is not enough to solve the problem.
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http://www.healthline.com/health-ne...herapy-could-reverse-type-2-diabetes-051915#1
