Discovering Pancreatic Stem Cells

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Scientists and researchers have been searching for pancreatic stem cells for years. Because they were so difficult to find as well as to process and activate, most scientists have given up on the search. It was believed that finding and using pancreatic adult stem cells that replace beta cells that have been damaged in people suffering from diabetes might discover the reverse in the disease process. As it stands, there is no cure for Type-1 diabetes, except the possibility of transplanting pancreatic cells into the liver. The problem with this technique is that it takes several deceased donors to contribute the number of cells that are necessary for such a treatment.

Experiments conducted in laboratory mice has led to the discovery that through a certain technique, beta cells in the pancreas can be doubled in a two-week time span. As a result of this, the mice produced more insulin, which raised the possibility that new beta cells were working well to regenerate damage caused by an inflammatory response in those suffering from diabetes. The study also led scientists to believe that the progenitor cells that exist in the adult pancreas of such mice could be used to make new cells that produce insulin.

Type-1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to destroy its own insulin producing cells. People suffering from this type of diabetes must take insulin on a daily basis to control blood sugar levels. Further study in this area may prove beneficial in treating diabetes in the near future.

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