What Do You Think is the Cure For T1D?

If you have limitless money and resources, what area would you look to for the cure for Type 1 Diabetes?

  • Would it be a new pancreas?
  • An implanted vial of insulin?
  • CGMS, but implanted?
  • some kind of drug that “tricks” the brain into thinking the pancreas works?

What are your ideas?

Stem cells to re-create my islet cells, and find a way to kill of the anti-GAD antibodies.

Yes! I find stem cells to be promising too! Thanks, Obama, for lifting the hold on the research funding!

either Stem cells or, in a shorter term, an artificial pancreas… that is basically a close looped system of pump and CGMS that runs by itsel… it is already on trials, but it has many risks… plus it is not a cure by itself… just a MAJOR development in the technology.

So, I really hope for stem cell research…

The artifical pancreases that you’ve seen- have they been attached on the outside like the pump, or “installed” inside, under the skin?

Stem cell…I am hopeful.

Jim-

I see that point too. I talked w my endo a few months ago about getting a pancreas ONLY transplant and he said that it would probably cause more harm than fix. With the healing time being elapsed due to our autoimmune system being slow, and also with the rate of the transplant being accepted, the odds are it’ll fail within the first five years at 50%- IF it works at all in the first place!

Scary.

something to block the auto-immune issues and then reseed the pancreas…

I was referring more to the “the medical equipment approach – using an insulin pump under closed loop control using real-time data from a continuous blood glucose sensor.”

i found this wikipedia article… it seams that the term is used for both this external units and implanted units… let keep hoping for Stem cell :wink: since I image this equipment will be very expensive and not accessible to most diabetics all over the world…

Short term I think artificial pancreas external., long term probably the same but implantable. Stem cells are promising but I have heard that too many times. We have made more progress with manmade devices than anything else. And if it becomes possible to implant a device all other research will probably end or slow to a snail’s pace. Not to mention stem cells will be off limits again when we have the next admin change; 4-8 years won’t be enough.

Transplants are a vital part of the treatment. I would not consider it until my kidneys are being replaced. I would rather pump or MDI than go through the pain and aggrevation of transplant surgery. I am a wimp that way, no surgery I can’t avoid.

I am a volunteer in this clinical trial: Check out Denise Faustman’s work at www.faustmanlab.org Her work targets reversal of the auto-immune attack on the beta cells through intorduction of a generic drug that has been used for over 80 years. This type of treatment may also prove beneficial for other auto-immune disorders. If I had unlimited resources, I would give Massachusetts General Hospital, where her lab is located, $250,000,000 or more as needed. to take this reaearch to completion and a cure

God Bless
Brunetta

What about research done on implanting your own stem cell, not embryonic stem cells…

yep, to what Scott said. Even a closed loop system is not a cure, it’s a management solution. No cure will come till the reason for developing the disease in the first place is discovered.

With a transplant, we’d have to take immune suppressant drugs for life to prevent organ rejection. Huge risks with that. No thanks.

The Diabecell trials seem the most promising & Dr. Faustman’s work brings a lot of hope.

Not all transplants require surgery… an Islet cell transplant for example, is usually done with an infusion… much like a bone marrow transplant.

Sorry about the confusion I was referring to a pancreatic transplant.

And the little bit I know about using your own stem cells is probably dangerous. My understanding and it maybe completely wrong is that this research has not made as far as embryonic yet. I love the idea of either sets of stem cells but I will have to wait and see. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if with a little “help” our bodies could cure themselves.

And then are we far from having nanobots implanted to harvest the stem cells and deliver them to the area in need. Of course when nanobots have come this far they could go through your veins and clean out plague fix tears etc… And maybe instead of brushing our teeth we will just use a mouth wash filled with the little buggers and they will do it for us. Sorry, a little off course, speculating.

I heard about something going on in the UK a few years back- something about implanting a vial of insulin that carries a few years’ supply of short acting insulin. It has a CGMS programmed in and will automatically send the dosed insulin into your blood. You would only have to go back to the hospital once every few years to get the vial filled back up.

I don’t know if this is true?

I heard it hasn’t been approved in the USA because there is a small chance that the vial would burst and release millions of units of insulin into your blood at once.

Is there fact to this?

Stem cell seems to be the answer but remaining as healthy as possible by taking as good care of yourself as possible is the answer right now.

Stay on top of the news, which is abundent, keep all of your doctor appts and stay phsically active =" the cures" for now

Ask yourself how much your life would be diffrent if you were not a diabetic?

I believe I am healthier, more fit and in much better tune with by body then 90% of my peers because of my diabetes.

True that! I understand my body and its little quirks a lot better than those my age. I also am not into
alcohol and drugs like a lot of my peers are- I don’t know if I would be if I weren’t T1D, but… who knows?

Not sure if this is the same thing you’re referring to, but there’s research into smart insulin. Not a cure, but an incredible improvement if it ever happens.

Smart insulin would be released in the body according to BG, but it doesn’t have a CGMS.