Are stem cells a possible cure for diabetes?
Stem cells are cells that can develop into other types of cells. And scientists have had some success with embryonic stem cells in treating type 1 diabetes in mice. In one study, scientists at a San Diego company prepped human embryonic stem cells to develop into pancreatic cells. Pancreatic cells are the type of cells that die in type 1 diabetes. After they prepped the cells, they grafted them into the abdominal fat of mice. Thirty days after implantation, the cells had morphed into pancreatic cells. Two months later, the implanted cells were actually producing insulin, the hormone that's needed to control blood sugar.