Here is a link to describe a possible new treatment that would eliminate a lot in our day to day lives. Exciting!!!
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A doctor told me about this about 6 months ago. He said to be on the lookout for it because it’s going to happen. He wasn’t so caught up with the artificial pancreas stuff. He said this is where it’s at. The trial ends in 2017. Let’s pray for the best.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for ViaCyte’s encapsulated device.
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It looks legit.
Sounds cool, except the part where you would have to go in annually for surgery to get the device removed and reinserted. I am more scared of surgery then having to dose myself and check my bg levels. But maybe this will lead to something longer lasting later…
yeah but just think. 1 simple easy surgery a year versus daily management of this horrible disease. i fee like this is the way things are going.
Yea this would be minor surgery from the sound of it, not major, organ moving, lots of stitches surgery. 
Quite the difference. Under the skin in the pancreas. That’s pretty noninvasive as far as surgery.
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do you think this will happen?
Goodness I hope so! Call me foolish, but with all the money and technology we have in society today, i believe we diabetics have every reasonable hope to believe that we will have a cure in the next 10 years, if not 5. This research sounds more promising than other research due to the fact that there isn’t any anti-rejection meds involved. Although, it is just stage 1 of 2 in the human trial. A lot can happen. This seems more realistic and practical of a bridge from no cure to something of a cure.
I have heard promising research for the TB vaccine as a cure for T1 too.
Personally, I would be a lab rat for this one. One surgery a year vs. having to change my pump supplies every 4-5 days and sensors and be a pin cushion. Although, I’m sure in the beginning they would like to track for BG info with all that tech.
I’m more hopeful than other diabetics, but I have only been living with my diagnosis for 3.5 years and 2 healthy pregnancies. If I had to live through years of no cure and major advancements, I might be more than a little jaded about the whole thing. Plus, I think I have diabetes in the best age ever. All these great medical and technological advancements, I have all I need to control my BGs as much as I can. The responsibility is in my hands.
Just my 2cents,
Busybee
I like the sound of this, but with almost 30 years of Type 1, I am not getting my hopes up. There may be a major breakthrough tomorrow, but I’ve heard of too many other breakthroughs that haven’t gone anywhere. From noninvasive glucose monitoring (some company in Gaithersburg, Maryland, that demonstrated its device to Congress) to islet transplantation in Alberta. I’m sure each failure is part of the final success, but the media are not known for good coverage of medical research. If there are 9 no-results and 1 positive result, they’ll trumpet the 1 positive result, not mention that the vast majority of experiments show no significant change, and omit qualifiers on the 1 positive result. One of these days, there will be a cure, but it will probably be a long drawn-out process even after the first big breakthrough.
The program in Alberta is active and has been active for years, so I wouldn’t call it a failure. My understanding is that the primary reason it’s still not widely available is the need for anti-rejection drugs (so they only accept you in extreme circumstances) as well as a lack of beta cells (I think it takes multiple pancreases to get enough cells for one transplant).
Though I agree with you that, after 24 years, I’m not holding my breath for a true cure in my lifetime.
The problem is islet cell transplantation has been around for decades, i’m sure even longer. Scientists have been performing islet cell transplantation on animals and came up with the same issues even before they tried it out on humans. The problem is the autoimmune response. @Jen is right, its the need for anti-rejection meds and the lack of beta cells that make it much less successful compared to the ViaCyte’s encapsulated device so far and this one in Canada. Sounds to be the same thing as ViaCyte though.
One of the biggest hurdles from the research I’ve read is getting a device or mechanism for a cure that doesn’t involve taking anti-rejection meds.
BTW, all the artificial pancreas stuff isn’t a cure, its still considered a treatment. I’m not even sure if the ViaCyte device would be considered a cure if it does work. It might still be considered a treatment, we are just trading up our insulin for this new fangled device. The fact would remain, we still need a device to help us with beta cell/insulin production. The device would use our pancreas to help it create beta cells through stem cells. If we are trading in insulin for something else to “manage” our diabetes isn’t that still considered a treatment? I significant leap towards a cure but more of a bridge.
Honestly, something is better than nothing. I’d rather have a whole lot of something that fails than nothing at all. When we fail, we learn and adapt to make something better. We will get there.
Where there is no vision, people perish- Proverbs 29:18
Vision and innovation are important in our society.
Busybee
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I’m 28. Have had type 1 since I was 7. Not sure what the future will hold but I’m sure it will get better. I’d like to have no lows and highs through genetic or mechanical means, however it may be. not so sure if a complete cure will happen in my lifetime, but i do like wondering how things will be when i’m in my 60’s.