Recent breakthroughs in diabetes

Using stem cells from blood in the umbilical cord to reverse diabetes

The Children's Research Centre is developing an alternative strategy for treating diabetes and other autoimmune disorders in which the immune system attacks itself, called "cell therapy". Cell therapy involves cultivating white blood cells from stem cells found in the blood of the umbilical cord, and then infusing them into the patient where they combat the defective cells that are causing the immune destruction. The Children's Research Centre was the first to show that white blood cells could in fact be grown in vitro from cord blood stem cells. It is hoped that this process will provide affected organs with relief from attack, allowing their regeneration, and the ultimate reversal of the disease. This form of cell therapy has been successful in animals and scientists at the Children's Research Centre are working to make this form of treatment available for humans. If successful, cell therapy may also be used in the prevention of organ rejection in transplant recipients.

Identifying weight gain as a factor in type 1 diabetes

Researchers at the Children's Research Centre have proven that above average weight gain in the first two years of life increases the risk of autoimmunity, which can lead to type 1 diabetes (where the body does not produce any insulin). Previously scientists believed that weight gain was only a risk factor for type 2 diabetes (where the insulin that the body produces is not effective). Due to findings made by the Children's Research Centre, we now know that weight gain is a risk factor for both forms of diabetes. Given that the incidence of type 1 diabetes in children has doubled over the last two decades, it is hoped that this research may go some of the way to alleviating future cases.