Brian Shelton, who participated in the Vertex Pharmaceuticals study, may be the first person to treat type 1 diabetes using stem cell-derived islet cells. So, an experiment involving 17 patients showed encouraging results: 13 of them achieved normal blood sugar levels without insulin after 90 days. However, two members, including Shelton, died. Vertex said the deaths were not related to the treatment, but the study was stopped earlier this year for a safety review.
Vertex is also investigating a drug called VX-264, which encapsulates islet cells and eliminates the use of immunosuppressive drugs that can have side effects.
A separate Chinese study using islet tissue derived from stem cells showed positive results in patients with type 2 diabetes. This suggests that the technology may be effective for both types of disease.
These developments give hope that diabetes can be treated using stem cells in the future. However, larger studies and long-term follow-up are needed to confirm safety and effectiveness. Additionally, before talking about the widespread use of the drug, it is necessary to learn the cause of death in the Vertex study.
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Source: Ferra
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