On October 27, in Shanghai, Professor Yin Hao from the Organ Transplant Center of Changzheng Hospital shared with reporters some groundbreaking developments in diabetes treatment. He revealed that more than 30% of the vast number of diabetes patients in China experience pancreatic dysfunction and rely on lifelong insulin injections to maintain their health.
Professor Yin is collaborating with a research team led by Professor Cheng Xin from the Chinese Academy of Sciences to conduct clinical trials involving a newly developed pancreatic tissue regeneration method called E-islet, which could offer new hope for diabetes treatment through islet transplantation.
After over a decade of focused research, the team successfully reprogrammed peripheral blood mononuclear cells from either patients or healthy individuals into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). They then applied innovative international technologies to transform these into “seed cells,” specifically endoderm stem cells (EnSC), ultimately achieving the regeneration of pancreatic tissue (E-islet) in vitro.
Islet transplantation has made significant strides in recent years as a promising treatment option for diabetes, potentially offering a cure. Professor Yin noted that external insulin cannot replace the complex functions of the human pancreas, making it difficult to avoid various complications. Islet transplantation has the potential to fully restore pancreatic function in patients, and it is considered one of the most ideal treatment methods. However, clinical applications are severely limited due to three major challenges: difficulties in islet isolation techniques, insufficient donor sources, and the lifelong need for immunosuppressants post-surgery. These constraints have made islet transplantation a focal point in the fields of cell therapy and translational medicine today.
During the ongoing 4th Asian Pancreas and Islet Transplantation Association (APITA) academic conference, Professor Raja Kandaswamy, president of the International Pancreas and Islet Transplantation Association (IPITA) and director of the organ transplant center at the University of Minnesota, engaged in an enthusiastic discussion with domestic and international experts about the latest advancements in pancreatic and islet transplantation for diabetes treatment. He emphasized that tissue replacement therapies, including pancreas or islet transplantation, can effectively address the shortcomings of insulin therapy, improving the quality of life for insulin-dependent patients and actively preventing and mitigating diabetes-related complications, making it an ideal curative option for insulin-dependent diabetes.
Notably, Professor James Shapiro, often referred to as the “father of islet transplantation,” attended the conference 40 years after his previous visit to China. He is recognized as the chief investigator of diabetes islet cell transplant therapy and proposed the groundbreaking “Edmonton protocol” in 2000. At the conference, he delivered an academic report titled “Autologous Stem Cell Regeneration in Islet Transplantation for Diabetes” and engaged in extensive discussions with Professors Yin and Cheng Xin’s team.
Experts at the conference paid special attention to the latest research results in diabetes treatment, including the use of biological agents, stem cells, and immunomodulation in type 1 diabetes, as well as efforts to protect islet function.