Stem Cell Insulin Therapy Reverses Diabetes in Mice
A new stem cell insulin therapy from Sweden reversed diabetes in mice. The approach reliably made insulin cells from human stem cells. It could open a path to type 1 diabetes care.
The work, in Stem Cell Reports, was led by Karolinska Institutet and KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden.
Why type 1 diabetes needs replacement cells
Type 1 diabetes hits when the immune system targets insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Without insulin, the body cannot absorb blood glucose. Blood sugar then climbs to dangerous levels.
Replacing those lost cells has long been the central goal. Earlier stem cell attempts gave mixed results. Some batches matured well; others did not. Some yielded useful cells mixed with unwanted types.
The new stem cell insulin therapy aims to fix both issues.
A more reliable production method
"We have developed a method that reliably produces high-quality insulin-producing cells from multiple human stem cell lines. This opens up opportunities for future patient-specific cell therapies, which could reduce immune rejection," said Per-Olof Berggren of Karolinska's Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery. He is corresponding author with Siqin Wu of Spiber Technologies AB.
The team refined the culture process. They let cells form natural three-dimensional clusters during growth. That cut the share of unwanted cell types in the final batch. It also lifted how strongly the cells answered to glucose. The result: insulin-producing cells better refined and more functional than earlier versions.
How the cells performed in tests
In lab tests, the new stem cell insulin therapy released insulin on cue. The cells showed a strong response to glucose levels.
The team then transplanted the cells into diabetic mice. The mice slowly regained blood sugar control.
To track development live, the team placed cells in the anterior chamber of the eye. That window lets researchers watch cells with little disturbance.
"This is a technique we use to monitor the development and function of the cells over time in a minimally invasive way," Berggren said. "We observed that the cells gradually matured after transplantation, retaining their ability to regulate blood sugar for several months, which demonstrates their potential for future treatments."
Several months of glucose control in mice is a strong signal for a transplant approach still in preclinical stages.
Overcoming long-standing hurdles
Stem cell therapies for type 1 diabetes are in clinical trials already. They face two main problems. First, stem cells often turn into both useful and unwanted cell types, raising transplant risk. Second, lab-grown insulin cells often cannot answer glucose well.
The Karolinska method tackles both. Letting cells self-organize into 3D clusters seems to favor the right fate. Clusters also push cells toward mature, responsive insulin output.
Fredrik Lanner of Karolinska's Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology is last author. Lanner said: "This could solve several of the problems that have previously hindered the development of stem cell-based treatments for type 1 diabetes." He added the team aims to push the work toward clinical translation in type 1 diabetes.
The cell-mixture problem matters because contamination raises the risk of unwanted growth at the transplant site. Cutting that fraction makes any future product safer.
Patient-specific cell therapy ahead
Patient-derived insulin cells could reduce immune rejection. That advantage matters in type 1 diabetes, where the immune system is already hostile. Stem cells from a patient could bypass that hurdle.
The next step is preclinical safety data. After that, a phase 1 trial in type 1 diabetes is the goal.
The stem cell insulin therapy work needs independent replication. Durability, scalability, and immune-evasion strategies remain open.
Funding and disclosures
Karolinska Institutet ran the project with KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. Funders included the Swedish Research Council, STINT, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. A European Research Council Advanced Grant also supported it. Other backers: the Erling-Persson Family Foundation, the Jonas & Christina af Jochnick Foundation, the Swedish Diabetes Association, Vinnova, and Karolinska's Strategic Research Program.
A subset of authors report industry ties, including patent applications and roles at Spiber Technologies and Biocrine AB.
The stem cell insulin therapy could shift how clinicians treat type 1 diabetes in the years ahead. Coverage on Medigear.uk shows why hospital teams must follow how the stem cell insulin therapy findings shape diabetes care.
Source: Originating coverage based on Karolinska Institutet press materials on the Berggren/Wu/Lanner et al. paper in Stem Cell Reports. Per-Olof Berggren, professor at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, corresponding author. Siqin Wu, researcher at Spiber Technologies AB (formerly Karolinska Institutet), corresponding author. Fredrik Lanner, professor at the Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, last author. Collaboration with KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.
