Stem cells offer hope of finding cure for diabetes

Scientists have come a step closer to a cure for diabetes with a study showing that it is possible to create the insulin-producing tissue of the pancreas from human embryonic stem cells.

Tests have shown that the stem cells can be turned into fully mature pancreatic cells that are capable of producing the vital insulin hormone necessary to control blood sugar levels.

Stem cells from early human embryos promise to revolutionise medicine because of their ability to develop into any of the many specialised cells of the body.

The aim of the research is to be able to culture embryonic stem cells so that they can be grown into the desired tissue for repairing damaged organs such as the heart, brain or pancreas.

The latest effort, detailed in the journal Nature Biotechnology, comes from a stem-cell engineering company called Novocell, based in California.

Novocell scientists have developed a method of converting human embryonic stem cells to the endoderm tissue of the pancreas, the part of the endocrine organ which is necessary for the formation of insulin-producing cells.

Emmanuel Baetge, the company's chief scientific officer, said the study shows that it is possible in the test tube to mimic the process of natural differentiation that results in the normal development of the pancreas within the body.

"The efficient, reproducible production of human embryonic stem cell derived, insulin-producing endocrine cells through a process that mirrors the development of human pancreatic cells represents a critical step towards providing a renewable source of cells for diabetes therapy," Dr Baetge said.

"This provides a foundation upon which we can build a standardised process for generating functional insulin-producing cells for the treatment of diabetic patients."

Patients with diabetes typically produce antibodies against their own pancreatic cells, which destroys the organ's ability to produce enough insulin.

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