Alexander Ake

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Research into Diabetes

Diabetes is defined as “a disease in which the body’s ability to produce insulin, or

response to hormonal insulin is impaired, resulting in abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates and

elevated levels of glucose in the blood or urine” (Mayo, 2017). However, although a lot of

research is being done, no cure has been found for either type one or type two diabetes. After a

patient is diagnosed with diabetes, they are educated on how to take care of a themselves or a

child with diabetes as a way of trying to keep them safe. What if parents were no longer taught

that diabetes is irreversible and instead taught that it could be cured? As a patient with diabetes, I

am interested in this because it is something that I would like to see for the future. I would enjoy

seeing both children and adults with type one and type two diabetes alike to be cured so they can

live long happy lives. One of the ways scientists are looking to solve the problem of diabetes is

through the use of stem cells. A stem cell is “an undifferentiated cell of a multicellular organism

that is capable of giving rise to infinitely more cells of the same type, and from which certain

other kinds of cell arise by differentiation” (Merriam Webster, 2017). However, one thing that

remains the same is that stem cells could be the cure to solving the issue that begins with the

pancreas. The job of a stem cell is to change themselves to be any type of cell in the body. So, if

you aren’t able to recreate beta cells, then why not use something that can transform itself into

what you need? This is why stem cells are being used to research into diabetes. Stem cells

provide a unique ability that allows them to turn into the one thing that diabetics need, pancreatic

cells. This research could be very significant in the field to endocrinology, the study of the

organs that produce hormones. By using stem cells to fix the problems produced by diabetes,

you not only could cure diabetes but prevent it from ever manifesting in the first place.
 Type one diabetes is a disease that causes the cells in the pancreas to stop producing

insulin after the beta cells that produce insulin are destroyed (Mayo Clinic, 2017) When insulin

stops being produced, the pancreas begins to shut down. This leads to many different problems

for the body to handle, including severe hyperglycemia, severe hypoglycemia, heart problems,

and many more. According to the CDC (2017), approximately 30.3 million Americans, 9.4% of

the American population, have been diagnosed with diabetes. One of the ways scientists were

looking to cure diabetes was with stem cells taken from the gum lining in the mouth. In these

cells, researchers were searching for a way to keep the beta cells from being destroyed by

something called a T-cell, which boost the immune system and help the body kill off infected

cells. (Alberts, Johnson, Lewis, 2002).

All of this research was published in an article titled “Human Gingiva-Derived

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Ameliorate Streptozoticin-Induced T1D in Mice via Suppression of the

T-Effector Cells And Up-Regulating Treg Subsets” (Alberts, et al., 2002). This research showed

the first possible step into a cure for diabetes by testing the stem cells on mice in an attempt to

keep T-effector cells from attempting to destroy beta cells. In doing this they could find a way to

prevent diabetes from manifesting in the body. This would also allow the body to begin to repair

beta cells allowing the pancreas to begin producing insulin again. This would essentially cure

type one diabetes. The results of the test show that “GMSC [Gingiva Mesenchymal Stem Cells]

ameliorate the development of T1D.” (Chen, W., Chen, Y., Dang, J., Li, D., Liang, J., Ma, J., …

Zhou, L., 2017) This means that the cells taken from the gums of humans were actually able to

slow down the development of type one diabetes in mice. They later state this again in the results

section of the article when the authors state, The article later showed that when the cells taken

from the gum lining were used on Type 1 Diabetes, the progression of the disease was
significantly slowed and patients would have a much greater ability to control sugar in their

bodies. (Chen, W., Chen, Y., Dang, J., Li, D., Liang, J., Ma, J., … Zhou, L., 2017).

Type two diabetes is very similar to type one diabetes, as it requires patients to take

insulin on a daily basis. A difference between the two of them however, is that with type two

diabetes, the patient’s pancreas still produces insulin. By not taking care of your body through

dieting and exercise, type two diabetes can develop, leading to serious health risks such as loss of

a limb, heart disease, and more. (Mayo Clinic, 2017) However, stem cells may be able to stop

these kind of health risks from developing. In the article, “Human Umbilical Cord-Derived

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Ameliorate Insulin Resistance by Suppressing NLRP3 Inflammasome-

Mediated Inflammation in Type 2 Diabetes,” researchers explain how stem cells taken from the

umbilical cord could be the cure to type two diabetes by reversing a person’s insulin resistance.

“UC-MSC infusion significantly ameliorated hyperglycemia in type two diabetes rats and

decreased inflammatory activity, which resulted in improved insulin sensitivity in insulin target

tissues” (Dong, L., Han, Q., Han, W., Hao, H., Lin, J., Mu, Y., … Sun, X., (2017)). This shows

that by using UC-MSCs, or Umbilical Cord-Mesenchymal Stem Cells, doctors have not only

been able to help with decrease inflammatory activity but to actually help with curing

hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), the main symptom caused by diabetes. By using stem cells we

will allow the pancreas to be relieved of the pressure being put on it to create more insulin. By

doing this, the body will be able to circulate more insulin and keep the body more stable

throughout a normal lifestyle. This allows for both a cure and a method to reverse the effects of

type two diabetes.

A cure for diabetes could be monumental for world health. By finding a cure, many

people would be able to go out into the world and not have the fear of eating the wrong thing
because it has too much sugar in it, or having to worry about calculating the next insulin dose.

These daily thoughts of a diabetic could all be taken away with a cure.

This research seems to be quite promising. However, there are many things that were not

covered in the articles. What are the chances of the stem cells not working? This is important

because it could be a deciding factor between if a patient does go into remission or whether that

same patient wants to wait for something that has a better chance of helping them be relieved of

their condition.

Diabetes is a very serious disease with many different patients struggling to make their

way through life. By using stem cells, we not only could be able to reverse the symptoms

exhibited by both type one and type two diabetes, but we would be able to prevent them from

ever progressing throughout someone’s life. These symptoms may include, but are not limited to,

frequent urination, constant thirst, unintended weight loss, fatigue and weakness among others.

(Mayo Clinic, 2017) By taking stem cells from the gum lining we would be able to make the

lives of those living with type one diabetes hope that one day they may be able to eat a meal

without having to take insulin through a needle or a pump. A possible downside to the stem cell

transplantation is that, the patient’s body may reject the stem cells causing the patient to have no

difference from when they were diagnosed with diabetes. This would be similar to the body

rejecting a new organ that is foreign to the body. Similar to that, by using stem cells from the

umbilical cord and applying them to a type two diabetic, they may have less insulin resistance

allowing the body to use its own insulin against sugar. Stem cells can be used to make many

different types of tissue so why not allow it to heal that of a damaged pancreas. As a patient with

diabetes, I hope that using stem cells as a cure could be in the near future but as a student of the

medical field I believe that stem cells are going to be able to eradicate this chaotic disease. This
would not only ease the lives of millions of patients, but patients families as well. Even though

some patient’s bodies may reject the cure, and others will not have access to it immediately, I am

sure that people will find a way to get the cure to the world. 30 million Americans struggle to

live with diabetes and many more will be diagnosed in the coming years. So, if we want to end

diabetes altogether a cure needs to be found. Whether that be through stem cells, using an

artificial pancreas, or using immunotherapy, diabetes harms the lives of patients all around the

world, so why not stop it dead in its tracks.

Reference Page:

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Sun, X., Hao, H., Han, Q., Song, X., Liu, J., Dong, L., … & Mu, Y. (2017) Human

umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate insulin resistance by

 suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammation in type 2 diabetes. Stem Cell

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www.stemcellres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13287-017-0668-1

Zhang, W., Zhou, L., Dang, J. Zhang, X., Wang, J., Chen, Y., … & Zhang, S.G. (2017)

Human gingiva-derived mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate streptozoticin- induced in

T1D in mice: Suppression of T effector cells and up-regulating treg subsets. Scientific

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Alberts, B., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., et al. (2002). Helper T-Cells and Lymphocytes Activation.

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26827/

CDC. (2017). National Diabetes Statistic Report. CDC.