The World's First Autologous Regenerated Islet Transplantation Was Successful, And A Patient With A 25-year History Of Diabetes Was Cured

On April 30, 2024, Professor Yin Hao's team from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University (Shanghai Changzheng Hospital) and Professor Cheng Xin's team from the Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences published an article in the internationally renowned academic journal Cell Discovery. IF: 33.5) published the research results online titled "Treating a type 2 diabetic patient with impaired pancreatic islet function by personalized endoderm stem cell-derived islet tissue": the first international report of autologous regenerative islet transplantation using stem cell sources, successful Cure cases of diabetes with severely impaired pancreatic islet function. This technology not only brings unprecedented innovation to the field of diabetes treatment but also brings new hope to hundreds of millions of diabetic patients around the world.

Click to Cistanche for kidney disease

Major breakthrough in the field of regenerative medicine treatment of diabetes!

Diabetes, as an increasingly serious chronic disease, poses a huge threat to human health. Among them, type 2 diabetes (T2D) usually begins with insulin resistance in peripheral tissues, and gradually loses pancreatic islet function as the number of β cells decreases or β cells dedifferentiate, and more than 30% of T2D patients ultimately rely on exogenous insulin treatment. If patients have poor long-term blood sugar control, they may suffer a series of serious complications including blindness, kidney failure, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents, and amputation. More seriously, acute complications such as ketoacidosis or unintentional hypoglycemia may even lead to death.

China has the largest number of diabetic patients in the world. The number of diabetic patients is as high as 140 million, of which about 40 million patients require life-long dependence on insulin injections for treatment. For those severe patients whose blood sugar is difficult to control, the only effective treatment currently is to extract islet tissue from a donated pancreas and perform injection transplantation through minimally invasive surgery to avoid further development of complications. However, limited by the severe shortage of donor organs and complex islet isolation technology, the demand for clinical treatment is far from being met.

Therefore, how to regenerate human islet tissue on a large scale in vitro has become a problem of widespread concern in the global academic and medical circles. The latest research results show that with the efforts of our country's scientific researchers, this technology has achieved major breakthroughs!

From "beta cell failure" to "completely getting rid of insulin"

Professor Yin Hao, director of the Organ Transplantation Center of Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, said that after more than ten years of research, the relevant scientific research team used the patient's blood PBMC to reprogram into autologous iPSC cells, and used the world's first technology to transform them into "seed cells", that is, endodermal stem cells ( Endoderm stem cell (EnSC), ultimately realizing the regeneration of islet tissue (E-islet) in vitro. Currently, this technology has become mature.

The first beneficiary of this technology is a 59-year-old male patient with a 25-year history of T2D. The patient developed end-stage diabetic nephropathy (uremia) and received a kidney transplant in June 2017. Since November 2019, the patient's blood sugar control has become increasingly difficult, with blood sugar levels of 3.66-14.60 mmol/L, mean blood sugar drift (MAGE) as high as 5.54 mmol/L, and strict time in range (Time in Tight Range, TITR, 3.9 -7.8 mM) is only 56.7%. The average number of daily hyperglycemic events (>10.0 mmol/L) was 0.7/d, and the average number of daily hypoglycemic events (<3.9 mmol/L) was 0.3/d. Due to the almost complete failure of the pancreatic islet function, the patient needs to receive insulin injections multiple times a day and faces a great risk of serious complications of diabetes.

On July 19, 2021, due to concerns about hypoglycemia and consideration that poor blood sugar control may have an adverse impact on the long-term survival of the donor kidney, the patient underwent autologous regenerated islet transplantation at Shanghai Changzheng Hospital. The patient was completely weaned from exogenous insulin starting from the 11th week after surgery. With the gradual reduction of oral hypoglycemic drugs, complete drug withdrawal was achieved at weeks 48 and 56. The patient has been completely weaned from insulin for 33 months. in particular:

➤Week 2:

Significant improvement in the patient's glycemic control was observed as early as 2 weeks after transplantation, with MAGE falling from 5.50 mmol/L to 3.60 mmol/L and TITR rapidly rising from 56.7% to 77.8%. Time above target range (TAR) decreased by 55% from baseline, and severe hyperglycemia (>13.9 mM) and hypoglycemia (<3.9 mM) events completely disappeared.

➤Weeks 4~12:

The dynamic average blood glucose fluctuation dropped from 5.50 to 2.6 mmol/L, and the TITR increased steadily from 81% to 90%.

➤≥32 weeks:

The patient's TITR was easily maintained at 99%, and MAGE, the gold standard for blood glucose variability, was reduced from 5.50 mM to 1.60 mM.

➤116-week follow-up period after surgery:

No episodes of hypoglycemia or severe hyperglycemia were observed. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels gradually decreased from 6.6% at baseline to 5.5% (week 85) and 4.6% (week 113).

The researchers said that the patient's key indicators such as fasting and postprandial C-peptide were significantly improved compared with those before surgery, which means that the pancreatic islet function has been effectively restored. In addition, follow-up indicators such as renal function were within the normal range, which also showed that the treatment could avoid the progression of diabetic complications and the graft was well tolerated without tumor formation or serious graft-related adverse events. Overall, this is the first international human tissue replacement therapy using autologous islets to treat T2D patients with impaired islet function.

Focus on "universal" regenerative islet tissue that does not require immunosuppression

According to Changzheng Hospital, in addition to the first case of severe type 2 diabetes, the above-mentioned joint team also successfully cured many cases of brittle type 1 diabetes. In the future, the team will focus on research related to stem cell-derived regenerated islet tissue to further develop "universal" regenerated islet tissue that does not require immunosuppression, thereby providing a new cure therapy for the majority of diabetic patients who rely on insulin injections for a long time.

How Does Cistanche Treat Kidney Disease?

Cistanche is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used for centuries to treat various health conditions, including kidney disease. It is derived from the dried stems of Cistanche deserticola, a plant native to the deserts of China and Mongolia. The main active components of cistanche are phenylethanoid glycosides, echinacoside, and acteoside, which have been found to have beneficial effects on kidney health.

Kidney disease, also known as renal disease, refers to a condition in which the kidneys are not functioning properly. This can result in a buildup of waste products and toxins in the body, leading to various symptoms and complications. Cistanche may help treat kidney disease ase through several mechanisms.

Firstly, cistanche has been found to have diuretic properties, meaning it can increase urine production and help eliminate waste products from the body. This can help relieve the burden on the kidneys and prevent the buildup of toxins. By promoting diuresis, cistanche may also help Reduce high blood pressure, a common complication of kidney disease.

Moreover, cistanche has been shown to have antioxidant effects. Oxidative stress, caused by an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body's antioxidant defenses, plays a key role in the progression of kidney disease. ies help neutralize free radicals and reduce Oxidative stress, thereby protecting the kidneys from damage. The phenylethanoid glycosides found in cistanche have been particularly effective in scavenging free radicals and inhibiting lipid peroxidation.

Additionally, cistanche has been found to have anti-inflammatory effects. Inflammation is another key factor in the development and progression of kidney disease. Cistanche's anti-inflammatory properties help reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inhibit the activation of inflammation mandatory pathways, thus alleviating inflammation in the kidneys.

Furthermore, cistanche has been shown to have immunomodulatory effects. In kidney disease, the immune system can be dysregulated, leading to excessive inflammation and tissue damage. Cistanche helps regulate the immune response by modulating the production and activity of immune cells, such as T cells and macrophages. This immune regulation helps reduce inflammation and prevent further damage to the kidneys.

Moreover, cistanche has been found to improve renal function by promoting the regeneration of renal tubes with cells. Renal tubular epithelial cells play a crucial role in the filtration and reabsorption of waste products and electrolytes. In kidney disease, these cells can be damaged, leading to damaged renal function. Cistanche's ability to promote the regeneration of these cells helps restore proper renal function and improve overall kidney health.

In addition to these direct effects on the kidneys, cistanche has been found to have beneficial effects on other organs and systems in the body. This holistic approach to health is particularly important in kidney disease, as the condition often affects multiple organs and systems. che has been shown to have protective effects on the liver, heart, and blood vessels, which are commonly affected by kidney disease. By promoting the health of these organs, cistanche helps improve overall kidney function and prevent further complications.

In conclusion, cistanche is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used for centuries to treat kidney disease. Its active components have diuretic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and regenerative effects, which help improve renal function and protect the kidneys from further damage. , cistanche has beneficial effects on other organs and systems, making it a holistic approach to treating kidney disease.