Stem cell therapy has been explored since the 1950s, with the first bone marrow transplant occurring in 1956. The technique has been evolving ever since, with several indications in modern medicine.
Type 1 diabetes
I was interested to read recently that stem cell therapy has been used to reverse type 1 diabetes. The study, which took place in China, chemically induced fat cells from a lady with the disease to make them behave as pluripotent stem cells. This gave them the ability to develop into other types of cells, which they used to create islet cells. Islet cells are commonly found in the pancreas and are involved in the production of insulin. It is these cells that are destroyed by the immune system to develop type 1 diabetes in the first place.
For the research, the islet cells created were injected between the skin and abdominal muscles. They were able to successfully develop in the body, developing their own vasculature. Within two and a half months, the patient no longer needed insulin injections. She was able to produce enough insulin to reach her target glycaemic range 96.2 per cent of the time – compared to just 43.2 per cent of the time prior to the procedure. She also had lower glycated haemoglobin, indicating long-term glucose levels of a non-diabetic.
The patient in this study had already experienced two failed liver transplants and one failed pancreas transplant prior to the stem cell therapy. To find an effective and minimally invasive solution to her type 1 diabetes is fantastic.
Broader applications
Of course, this area of study is ongoing with a lot more to do before such a treatment concept could safely be made available to the masses. However, there is a lot of promise in the approach for a number of conditions.
Stem cell therapies are already being used in the bone marrow transplant procedure for leukaemia, skins grafts for severe burns and corneal grafts for sight loss. This is an exciting and rapidly growing area of regenerative medicine, with stem cells used to optimise cell renewal, development and healing in different clinical situations.
In dentistry, stem cell research is often focused on regenerating damaged dentine or pulp, treating resorbed teeth, periodontal regeneration or perforation repair. There is even research happening into whole tooth regeneration as a replacement for dental implant treatment – though this is still some way off being implementable. Stem cells of dental origin may also have wider medical implications. For example, they might be used in heart therapies, to regenerate brain tissue or for muscular dystrophy therapies. Again, significant study is needed for before any of these can be confirmed and utilised in a practical way, though it is exciting to consider the possibilities.
References available on request.