Diabetes develops when pancreatic beta cells are no longer capable of releasing the amounts of insulin needed to regulate blood glucose. It reduces the quality of life and increases the risks of serious complications for more than 170 million people worldwide.

In Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes, the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. It can be treated by islet transplantation, where islets (containing beta cells) are taken from a donor’s pancreas and transferred to a person with the disease. There are not enough donor organs, however, to treat more than a tiny fraction of those who suffer from Type 1 diabetes.

Researchers are investigating whether stem cells might help this problem of supply. If it were possible to generate insulin-producing beta cells from embryonic stem cells, for example, there would be a potentially unlimited supply for transplantation. An alternative may be to develop new medicines to stimulate stem cells in the patient's own body to make new beta cells. These areas of research and other approaches currently under investigation are described in more detail in our factsheet, Type 1 Diabetes: how could stem cells help?

Relevant links
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
BetaCellTherapy
Stem Cells & Diabetes (NIH information)