Stem cells of the nervous system can heal diabetes mellitus
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Stem cells of the nervous system can replace, without any genetic modifications, dysfunctional pancreas cages .
The hormone insulin is produced by the endocrine cells of the pancreas, called beta cells. In the case of an attack by the immune system of beta cells, type 1 diabetes mellitus develops. And if the cells are not able to produce enough insulin, talk about type 2 diabetes mellitus. In both cases, the level of insulin in the blood falls, which leads to a loss of the ability of tissues and organs to suck glucose. As Tomoko Kuwabara's research (AIST Institute, Japan) has shown, both types of diabetes can be defeated with the help of neural stem cells, which are preserved in a healthy person.
Nerve stem cells hide in two "vaults": in the hippocampus and in the olfactory bulb. It should be noted that the idea of transplanting stem cells into the pancreas is not new. Earlier, scientists tried to implant stem cells of the intestine, liver and blood, however, the necessary conditions for the training of such cells to synthesize insulin, were genetic engineering manipulations. Therefore, scientists had some concerns about the safety of these procedures for the body due to the possibility of cancerous degeneration of stem cells.
Japanese scientists could do without genetically engineered manipulations on stem cells. The cells themselves were obtained through the nose with the help of an endoscope. The next step was the integration of the stem cell with the human protein Wnt3a, responsible for the synthesis of insulin, and antibodies against the cellular blockers of hormone production. These cells were grown for 2 weeks, then transplanted onto a special collagen sheet. Then this lithium, together with stem cells, was transplanted onto the diseased pancreas to animals.
The results of the experiment showed that already two weeks after the transplantation the level of insulin in the blood of animals reached normal values, regardless of the type of diabetes mellitus.
It remains only to confirm that human neural stem cells are also suitable for creating an antidiabetic prosthesis.
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