Potential diabetes cure to begin human testing

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Potential diabetes cure to begin human testing

Therapy involves inducing embryonic stem cells to turn into insulin-producing cells and implanting them under the skin.

By: Linda A. Johnson The Associated Press, Published on Thu Feb 04 2016

Johnson & Johnson, continuing its long quest for a Type 1 diabetes cure, is joining forces with biotech company ViaCyte to speed development of the first stem-cell treatment that could fix the life-threatening hormonal disorder.

They’ve already begun testing it in a small number of diabetic patients. If it works as well in patients as it has in animals, it would amount to a cure, ending the need for frequent insulin injections and blood sugar testing.

ViaCyte and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen BetaLogics group said Thursday they’ve agreed to combine their knowledge and hundreds of patents on their research under ViaCyte, a longtime J&J partner focused on regenerative medicine.

The therapy involves inducing embryonic stem cells in a lab dish to turn into insulin-producing cells, then putting them inside a small capsule that is implanted under the skin. The capsule protects the cells from the immune system, which otherwise would attack them as invaders — a roadblock that has stymied other research projects.


Read more: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/02/04/potential-diabetes-cure-to-begin-human-testing.html

[grasswire]

1. but diabetes is a HUGE profit center

Just think of all the money generated by this disease.

A cure? Is it possible considering the money?

[trillion]

5. Exactly what I thought first with this. Of course big pharma does have the Cancer Industry

[Tab]

10. It's Type I

Type II is where the money is

[Midnight Writer]

2. Pray this works. Would this work with Type 2?

[Judi Lynn]

3. It's mentioned in another article:

A Cure for Diabetes Is Moving Closer Toward Reality

by Claire Groden
February 4, 2016, 8:06 AM EST

A treatment is already in human trials.

~ snip ~

If the human testing stage is effective, the treatment could be available to Type 1 diabetes patients in “several” years, the AP reported. Eventually, Type 2 diabetes patients should also be able to use the treatment.

More:
http://fortune.com/2016/02/04/diabetes-cure-johnson-viacyte/

[golfguru]

8. My diabetes type II is under control without medications

4 months ago my A1C was 6.6. The DOC pronounced me a diabetic type II. She wanted me to begin taking medications. Since I hate taking any medications, I did intense search to find out if there was another natural cure.

After 4 months, my A1C is 5.5, and my morning blood glucose is averaging 105.

I have eliminated all refined flour products. Eat only whole grain stuff. Exercise every morning, before eating, 20 minutes on treadmill, brisk walking only. Breakfast at 10am, typically 1 egg omelette with grilled mixture of onions, tomatoes, hot green chili peppers, and fresh spinach. Top off with grated cheese + 2 whole wheat toast and coffee with cream and Truvia. I avoid all fruit juices. Eat only fresh fruit, 1 orange & 1 banana daily. Normal lunch at 2pm with emphasis on fatty meat protein included. Greek yogurt and dried prunes for dessert. Last meal of the day at 6 pm, emphasis on lean meat & veggies. No calories consumed after 6 pm. I drink several cups of black tea and decaf coffee during the day ( I hate drinking water) with cream & Truvia. I am at age 75.

[Judi Lynn]

9. Thanks for posting your experience. Sounds like success. n/t

[golfguru]

15. Occasionally I give in to my sweet tooth.

2 days ago I baked a cake and enhanced it with frosting and fruit filling. After 2 days of consuming a generous slice each day, my glucose was 125 this morning. Back to no sugar and high fructose stuff. The key to this plan is to limit all caloric intake within 8 hour period, and only water, tea & coffee without any sugar for the other 16 hours. Best luck to you.

[SCVDem]

11. I just saw my doc.

A1C at 6.5 and he says it's perfect.

I used to be told that <6 was best but I guess that changed.

Let's break down the T2s and separate the overweight and see what the numbers are. Losing weight is still the best 'cure'.

Less mass for less insulin. Worked for me at 60.

[golfguru]

14. Agreed 100%

Losing weight is great start. My doc said anything over 6.0 A1C is too much blood glucose and now they consider it diabetes.

[golfguru]

16. When my A1C was over 6, i noticed mild symptoms such as

warm and tingly feet. When my morning glucose is under 105, those symptoms disappear. Who says diabetes is a silent disease? There are symptoms, if one pays attention.

As for the A1C range, I think it is just the opposite now.
Before up to 6.5 was OK, now they want under 6.0. Please make sure your doc is up-to-date on this stuff. My doc is young, early 30's.

[SCVDem]

20. My doctor is the VA

If my dailies go below 105, I can tell. My normal is 115 to 130.

I lost 10 lbs and am cutting back on the insulin from 20 to 10 units.

We are all a little different I guess.

[shraby]

4. It's in the human testing stage and that's a big plus. Hope it works!

[gvstn]

7. I've been hearing about a cure winthin five years for decades.

Let's really hope it works! It's been a long time coming.

Sounds a little negative but I've just been so disappointed so many times. That it is going into human trials is uplifting.

[Matthew28]

6. This is why investing in science is so worth it

Our nation with a cure in either Diabetes or cancer could end up saving a thousand times what we paid in.

[Bayard]

12. Wonderful News!

Terrific, although I've lost two sisters to Type 1. They both lived into their 50's, but went thru amputations, blindness, and organ failures.

I am wondering, if these cells are encapsulated to protect from immune system, how do they get to the pancreas?

[IDemo]

19. They don't need access to the pancreas organ

The cells are acting as a pancreas contained within a structure that protects them from the immune system that attacked the body's naturally produced beta cells.

[Ruby the Liberal]

23. The pancreas houses the islet cells that make insulin but

it can be 'faked'. Johns Hopkins in Baltimore pioneered an islet cell transplant procedure where they implant islets into the liver where they then start producing insulin in reaction to glucose just like the pancreas would.

Sounds like this is similar in a way, but where they have figured out how to produce insulin without being organ dependent. Obviously WAY less invasive. From what I have read, the Hopkins transplant procedure involves multiple surgeries and months in hospitalized recovery.

Amazing stuff.

[wordpix]

13. instead of changing diets, we need to give JnJ billion$ to develop this

eat lots of fruits and veggies including lots of greens. Stop the sugar, salt and bad fats. Simple

[Sgent]

22. Not for Type 1

[Ruby the Liberal]

24. That can work for people with Type 2

whose bodies produce insulin but don't process it correctly.

In Type 1, the body doesn't produce insulin at all and needs it introduced via injection. While there are cases of folks who have both characteristics (no insulin production and the body not processing insulin effectively), base Type 1 isn't helped by diet - as long as the insulin injected is enough to process the carbs eaten. That said, calories are calories so if a Type 1 amps up their insulin to eat cake all day long, they are going to gain weight, but losing weight and eating healthy doesn't impact insulin production.

[wordpix]

25. "as long as the insulin injected is enough to process the carbs eaten"=so shouldn't patients

cut down on carbs so he/she can cut down on insulin injected?

I have studied this a lot as a cancer patient and think that diet along with environmental factors (such as air, water and soil pollution--- not to mention smoking, drinking and ingesting unhealthy foods/drugs) have a great deal to do with many kinds of chronic illnesses, if not all.

[IDemo]

27. Yes, carb intake should be limited for Type 1 diabetics

The amount of carbs required will be ideally determined by the patient working with his/her endocrinologist and a licensed dietician. That will depend mostly on the patient's weight and activity level. The insulin dosage is calculated and adjusted if needed based upon mealtime blood glucose measurements, carb intake and expected activity level.

That does not preclude however the desirability of a cure. Diet alone won't do that.

[Ruby the Liberal]

28. Indeed - and it is a balance

The body needs healthy carbs.

There is a misconception that diabetes is related to sugar. While sugar is the worst thing you can consume whether you have diabetes or not (IMO), T1 insulin units/dosage aren't based on sugar consumption, they are based on carbs. If one eats 15 carb grams of chocolate or 15 carb grams of a vegetable, the insulin dose is the same - noting that 15 grams of a healthy carb can be an entire meal (or more) where 15 grams of chocolate is a fraction of a candy bar.

Eating healthy will benefit diabetics in many ways but eating habits won't make the body start producing insulin if the islet cells are damaged/non-functioning.

What J&J is working on is replacing the body's function in producing insulin so that people don't have to inject it any longer. It won't change the need for healthy eating habits and it won't eradicate Type 1. Regardless of the media hype, this "cure" isn't "curing" anything - just making up a new way of getting insulin into the body. I think of it as an implantable (and 'maintenance free') insulin pump but instead of external insulin being intoduced, internal insulin is being produced.

I don't know if you know anyone with T1, but injectable insulin pens for someone using ~20 units a day of basal and ~15 units a day of bolus run about $500 a month - and that is with insurance. The savings alone will be HUGE if they can figure out how to trick the body into producing its own insulin.

[golfguru]

29. I hope you know this about Diabetes Type II

Which is, there is no shortage of insulin in people with Diabetes II.

The problem is insulin is present too many hours in the blood, and that creates insulin resistance. It is similar to people who drink lot of alcohol, do not get high as quickly as people who seldom drink. Because heavy drinkers have developed resistance to alcohol.

Therefore the main goal in treating Diabetes II should be to reduce insulin resistance. How can that be done? By reducing presence of insulin in blood during several hours during the day, which gives muscle cells much needed rest from insulin presence, and a chance to recover from insulin resistance.

Every time carbs are consumed, insulin is released in blood stream. If we eat from time we get up in the morning until going to sleep, body is constantly flooding insulin in the blood. By limiting carb intake to say only 8 hours during a 24 hour period, the cells are given a 8 hour rest from insulin. How does that work? It takes about 8 hours to burn up glucose generated from eating carbs and & glycogen stored in liver. After that body is forced to resort to derive energy by burning fat. No insulin is needed to use ketone based energy derived by breaking down fat. Body always prefers to use fat as the last resort. It is like body's saving account. We use cash in checking first.

So, 8 hours of consuming carbs, 8 more hours to burn of energy derived from carbs, 8 hours of rest from insulin = 24 hours. After a few weeks of this regimen, the muscle cells will have chance to lose insulin resistance.

People who have developed insulin resistance need massive amounts of injected insulin to force the glucose into muscle cells.

[Jefferson23]

17. K&R

[IDemo]

18. I'm in my 52nd year of Type 1

This sounds like a promising approach. Hopefully, human testing will yield good results and won't take a decade.

[trillion]

21. Good News!

[saltpoint]

26. Everybody should be hopeful about

this research. I'm thinking more pressure should be brought to bear against the nutritional caliber of foods available to consumers. The stuff on the grocery store shelves ain't the healthiest possible stuff. Nearly everything in the place has at least one asterisk. Some have several.