Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that leads to the destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. Practically, management of T1D requires multiple daily insulin injections, insulin pump therapy, or the use of an automated insulin delivery system, as well as glucose monitoring, preferably with a continuous glucose monitor5. Wang et al. (2023) performed the first-in-human phase I clinical trial on transplanting chemically induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived islets (CiPSC islets) for treating T1D. The autologous pluripotent stem cells of a T1D patient were induced to differentiate into islet-like cells. After passing all quality control and preparation procedures, the cell suspension was implanted underneath the abdominal anterior rectus sheath. The 1-year follow-up results of the case has been published recently. Remarkably, the patient achieved sustained insulin independence starting 75 days post-transplantation. The patient’s time-in-target glycaemic range increased from a baseline value of 43.18% to 96.21% by month 4 post-transplantation, accompanied by a decrease in glycated haemoglobin. At 1 year, the clinical data met all safety and efficacy clinical endpoints6. Based on the findings, CiPSC-islet transplantation appears to be an effective strategy countering T1D, and further clinical studies are warranted.
References
5. Type 1 Diabetes - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf. 6. Wang et al. Cell 2024; 0. DOI:10.1016/J.CELL.2024.09.004.
