Insulin-Producing Stem Cells Created

Stem cells may hold the key to actually curing diabetes. As reported in Endocrinology (August 2002), researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston took human pancreas islet stem cells and exposed them to the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). That caused the islet stem cells to begin producing insulin. The notion is that transplanting insulin-producing cells from a person?s own stem cells will prevent rejection by the immune system. The investigators emphasize, however, that much more research is needed.