Stem Cell Breakthrough

The Journal of the American Medical Association released the results of a Brazilian study on treating Type I Diabetes, Autologous Nonmyeloablative Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. While, the treatment will require further study this is a major breakthrough as several of the patients involved were able to forgo insulin treatments for extended periods. This is a big time improvement because in Type I going without frequent injections (several shots a day) is potentially lethal. Results varied with one patient going 35 months (nearly 3 years) without insulin to just one month. This is a long way from a cure but coming from a person suffering from needlephobia going several months between treatments is a far sight better than 2+ times a day.