News Technology

Key Recent Developments in Diabetes Research

PatrickDriscoll

2 Min Read

Two noteworthy developments in the study of diabetes came to light today. The first is the progress that has been achieved in the use of stem cells to “re-educate” the T cells in Type 1 diabetes (Univ. of Illinois). While reports on this research allude to “reversing” Type 1 diabetes, the actual research is better described (and more importantly) for illustrating that patients’ pancreatic islet beta cells can have their insulin-producing function restored via immunomodulatory steps.

Two noteworthy developments in the study of diabetes came to light today. The first is the progress that has been achieved in the use of stem cells to “re-educate” the T cells in Type 1 diabetes (Univ. of Illinois). While reports on this research allude to “reversing” Type 1 diabetes, the actual research is better described (and more importantly) for illustrating that patients’ pancreatic islet beta cells can have their insulin-producing function restored via immunomodulatory steps. Thus, Type 1 diabetics may potentially regain normal glucose regulation by repair — rather than by the more complex process of cell transplant.

The second development is that researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology have proven which T cells are responsible for destroying the pancreatic cells in Type 1 diabetes.

Both of these developments are important for the fact that they center on the actual mechanisms involved in the development of Type 1 diabetes and thereby accelerate the progress toward therapeutically intervening in order to restore normal insulin production.

The global market for products in the management of diabetes (for Types 1 and 2) is illustrated below.

Source: MedMarket Diligence, LLC; Report #D510, “Diabetes Management: Products, Technologies, Markets and Opportunities Worldwide 2009-2018.”

TAGGED:diabetes

Share This Article

By PatrickDriscoll

Follow:

I serve the interests of medical technology company decision-makers, venture-capitalists, and others with interests in medtech producing worldwide analyses of medical technology markets for my audience of mostly medical technology companies (but also rapidly growing audience of biotech, VC, and other healthcare decision-makers). I have a small staff and go to my industry insiders (or find new ones as needed) to produce detailed, reality-grounded analyses of current and potential markets and opportunities. I am principally interested in those core clinical applications served by medical devices, which are expanding to include biomaterials, drug-device hybrids and other non-device technologies either competing head-on with devices or being integrated with devices in product development. The effort and pain of making every analysis global in scope is rewarded by my audience's loyalty, since in the vast majority of cases they too have global scope in their businesses.Specialties: Business analysis through syndicated reports, and select custom engagements, on medical technology applications and markets in general/abdominal/thoracic surgery, interventional cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, patient monitoring/management, wound management, cell therapy, tissue engineering, gene therapy, nanotechnology, and others.