[Nature] Stem cells reverse woman’s type 1 diabetes — a first in the world of science & technology

[Space Lynx]

Stem cells reverse woman’s diabetes — a world first

She is the first person with type 1 diabetes to receive this kind of transplant.

www.nature.com

A 25-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes started producing her own insulin less than three months after receiving a transplant of reprogrammed stem cells1. She is the first person with the disease to be treated using cells that were extracted from her own body.

We live in an unbelievable timeline. This is just amazing. It only took three months for the cells to reprogram themselves to produce insulin. Please read the article, it isn't long at all. The future is bright my friends, stay positive.

The article also states it has been 1 year and she has sustained those same insulin levels the entire time, not needing shots anymore. So, I think the goal now is to wait 5 years, see if this change lasts that long, then expand trials. That's my understanding anyway.

 

[Frick]

The future is bright my friends, stay positive.

Best case this will be a costly procedure for the rich. Can't have something like this just avaliable to people, someone undeserving (like someone poor who isn't sexy) could benefit.

 

[Space Lynx]

Best case this will be a costly procedure for the rich. Can't have something like this just avaliable to people, someone undeserving (like someone poor who isn't sexy) could benefit.

I understand it is easy to be cynical, but there are some breakthroughs that even the rich will not be able to contain, and this is going to be one of them. Other countries will offer it, and since it changes someone's entire state of being, people will be willing to travel for it (like to Canada, etc).

Your argument is not without merit though, like that special soap that can prevent skin cancer, it does no harm and does a good job, but they don't want the public to have it because it will cut into margins of skin cancer medications, etc. However, type 1 diabetes is next level, if they try to do something shady there, they will get fucking destroyed by the masses. So, good luck to them I guess.

 

[maxfly]

Best case this will be a costly procedure for the rich. Can't have something like this just avaliable to people, someone undeserving (like someone poor who isn't sexy) could benefit.

You honestly think a pharmaceutical company would sit on the single most profitable break through in the last 20 or more years (since Viagra I'm guessing)? That's not how this works. They're sinking millions into the research, you can bet your bottom dollar they will be expecting a profit ASAP. The moment the EPA gives them the thumbs up this goes into national then very quickly worldwide production or vice versa which ever is approved first.

 

[Space Lynx]

You honestly think a pharmaceutical company would sit on the single most profitable break through in the last 20 or more years (since Viagra I'm guessing)? That's not how this works. They're sinking millions into the research, you can bet your bottom dollar they will be expecting a profit ASAP. The moment the EPA gives them the thumbs up this goes into national then very quickly worldwide production or vice versa which ever is approved first.

Good point, and let's look at Ozempic as an example, once a new medicine is so popular that pharma can't keep up, the FDA made it emergency use - which allowed for generics ahead of schedule, you can get cheap Ozempic off-brand at some pharmacies now that the FDA approved, Doctor script still needed of course.

I don't know how the laws on all of it works though, but I expect same thing would happen with a Type 1 Diabetes cure. Companies would have their profits maxed out, then after 6 months to one year the FDA allows emergency use making of it. That being said, this does require the patients own stem cells, probably not too many doctors that are qualified for that (I may be wrong), so we may need to have some special training up of Doctors to handle the influx if it ever gets approved someday.

 

[Rus4kova]

Best case this will be a costly procedure for the rich. Can't have something like this just avaliable to people, someone undeserving (like someone poor who isn't sexy) could benefit.

Just imagine the amount of money, the State can save on a procedure like this. Compared to giving a lifetime of subsidies for medicine like ozempic.
I think it will be well worth it, even if the cost is very high.

 

[Space Lynx]

Just imagine the amount of money, the State can save on a procedure like this. Compared to giving a lifetime of subsidies for medicine like ozempic.
I think it will be well worth it, even if the cost is very high.

Another good point, but I think if this does get FDA approved someday, it will be such big news celebrities will rally behind it, companies will have no choice but to be reasonable on this one. No CEO is going to have the balls to tell someone they can't cure their Type 1 if a cure is there, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out. I still think the FDA will just make it "drug shortage status" and then pharmacies and specialty companies will be able to offer it, non-profits will get involved with celebrities, etc - there will be no stopping making it affordable, not something this big.