This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Stem cell transplantation improves metabolic measures in type 1 diabetes
Patients with type 1 diabetes experienced moderate improvements in metabolic measures after transplantation of umbilical cord mesenchymal cells with autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell stem cell transplantation.
The transplantation also was safe in these patients, according to the researchers.
Jianming Tan, MD, PhD, of the Organ Transplant Institute of Fuzhou General Hospital, Xiamen University in China, and colleagues evaluated 42 patients with type 1 diabetes randomly assigned to stem cell transplantation (n = 21) or standard care (n = 21) to determine the safety and efficacy of transplantation on insulin secretion without immunotherapy between 2009 and 2010. Follow-up was conducted for 1 year at 3-month intervals.
C-peptide area under the curve (AUC) increased in the transplant group compared with a decrease in controls (P = .013); insulin AUC also increased in the transplant group and decreased in controls (P = .027).
HbA1c decreased by 12.6% in the transplant group compared with a 1.2% increase in controls (P < .01). Fasting glycemia decreased in both groups at 12 months. Insulin requirements were decreased in the transplant group compared with no change in controls (P < .01).
The transplant group experienced fewer self-reported severe hypoglycemic events compared with controls (P = .02).
“We established the safety of the approach and proof of concept that [stem cell transplantation] may lead to measureable improvements of metabolic function in patients with established [type 1 diabetes],” the researchers wrote. “The encouraging results point to a number of issues that should be addressed in the design of future large-scale trials to help to improve clinical outcomes.” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.