Bubble Technique Could Create Type 1 Diabetes Therapy

Two new scientific papers published on Monday demonstrated tools that could result in potential therapies for patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, a condition in which the immune system limits the production of insulin, typically in adolescents.

Previous treatments for this disease have involved injecting beta cells from dead donors into patients to help their pancreas generate healthy-insulin cells, writes STAT. However, this method has resulted in the immune system targeting these new cells as “foreign” so transplant recipients have had to take immune-suppressing medications for the rest of their lives.

The first paper published in the journal Nature Biotechnology explained how scientists analyzed a seaweed extract called alginate to gauge its effectiveness in supporting the flow of sugar and insulin between cells and the body. An estimated 774 variations were tested in mice and monkeys in which results indicated only a handful could reduce the body’s response to foreign invaders, explains STAT.

The other paper in the journal Nature Medicine detailed a process where scientists developed small capsules infused with alginate and embryonic stem cells. A six-month observation period revealed this “protective bubble” technique “began to produce insulin in response to blood glucose levels” after transplantation in mice subjects with a condition similar to type 1 diabetes, reports Gizmodo.

Essentially, this cured the mice of their diabetes, and the beta cells worked as well as the body’s own cells, according to the researchers. Human trials could still be a few years away, but this experiment could yield a safer alternative to insulin injections.