Living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) means constantly managing your blood sugar levels, often through daily insulin injections or the use of an insulin pump. Fortunately, diabetes care has come a long way. Today, many people use continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and advanced insulin pumps that can automatically adjust insulin delivery, making life with diabetes a bit more manageable. These tools are part of what’s known as hybrid closed-loop systems or the “artificial pancreas” or automated insulin delivery systems, and they’re helping people stay in range more consistently with less effort. But beyond just managing diabetes, there’s also exciting progress in delaying or even preventing it.
T1D is caused by the immune system attacking the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This has opened the door to new treatments like immunotherapy, which aims to calm the immune system before it causes too much damage. One example is a drug called teplizumab. It is a protein designed to specifically bind to the immune cells that destroy insulin-producing cells. This treatment is most effective when given to people who are at high risk for type 1 diabetes but have not yet developed symptoms. Although it doesn’t prevent type 1 diabetes forever, it can delay the disease by two years or more.
Looking further ahead, there is hope for treatments that could actually restore insulin production. Islet cell transplants, which involve transferring millions of insulin-producing cells from a donor, have helped some people become insulin-independent. However, they are not widely available and require immune-suppressing medications.
An exciting solution is to simply take other cells in the human body and turn them into insulin producing cells. Cells with the ability to turn into other cells are known as stem cells. Stem cells are special cells in the body that have the unique ability to develop into many different types of cells. You can think of them like blank building blocks. With the right instructions, they can turn into muscle cells, nerve cells, or, in the case of diabetes, insulin-producing beta cells. Stem cells potentially offer a renewable and personalized source of beta cells.
Some clinical trials are already underway, and researchers are also working on special protective “capsules” to shield these cells from the immune system. These advances are exciting and moving us closer to a future in which managing type 1 diabetes could be easier—or even where a cure is possible. Staying informed and hopeful is more important than ever.
This article was developed in partnership with Diabetes Action Canada as part of the Canadian National Graduate Course in Islet Biology and Diabetes hosted by the University Toronto (BCH2140).
About the author
Jennifer Phuong Ngan Tram Su
Jennifer is a M.Sc (thesis) candidate in the Stem Cell Bioprocessing Laboratory and Department of Chemical Engineering at McGill University. Her project focuses on the development of a microchannel emulsification device to encapsulate stem cell-derived pancreatic islets, aimed to enhance islet transplantation success in type 1 diabetes. She is easily fascinated by cool science and technology, as well as non-academic subjects, filling her free time as a musician, an artist, and a runner.
