Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com June 6 news, diabetes is a common chronic disease, the main reason is pancreatic β-cell damage or death, resulting in unable to secrete enough insulin, thus affecting the regulation of blood sugar. At present, diabetic patients mainly rely on insulin injection to control blood sugar level, but this method is not ideal, because it can not completely simulate the feedback mechanism of the human body.

Recently, scientists at will Cornell Medical College in the United States published a groundbreaking study in the journal Nature Cell Biology. They successfully transformed human stomach cells into cells that can secrete insulin. These cells were transplanted into diabetic mice and cured.

These new types of cells are called stomach-derived insulin-secreting cells (GINS). Although they are not β cells, they can mimic the function of β cells. The scientists used a wealth of stem cells in the stomach to activate three specific proteins to control gene expression and induce stem cells to transform into GINS cells in a certain order. This process is very efficient and can be completed in a few days. The scientists then cultured the GINS cells into small clusters of organ-like organs (organoids) and found that they were sensitive to blood sugar. Finally, the scientists transplanted these organs into diabetic mice and found that they could steadily secrete human insulin without rejection or other side effects within six months.

Professor Joe Zhou, lead author of the study, said: "this is a proof-of-concept study that provides us with a solid basis for developing a treatment based on patients' own cells for the treatment of type 1 and severe type 2 diabetes." He also pointed out that it is not entirely unexpected to use stomach cells to make GINS cells, because in the early stages of human development, the stomach and pancreas are adjacent organs, and the stomach itself can produce some hormone-secreting cells.

This study provides a new way to solve the problems of millions of people with diabetes around the world. However, CTOnews.com noted that the method needs to be further refined and verified, such as addressing some of the differences in stomach tissue between humans and mice, and how to improve the ability of GINS cells to resist immune system attacks. In addition, scientists hope to be able to make GINS cells from patients' own gastric stem cells, thereby reducing the risk and cost of transplantation.

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