Spleen Artery Catheterization Delivers Stem Cells to Diabetics
Exogenous insulin, drug therapy needs decreased after stem cell implantation in one trial.
Stem cells helped patients with type 2 diabetes decrease their dependence on insulin and oral drugs and lowered blood sugar levels in patients with type 1 diabetes, according to researchers in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
When implanted in the pancreas of a diabetic patient, autologous bone marrow stem cells have the ability to differentiate into functional cells and metabolize and regulate insulin in the body, according to researchers participating in two separate trials.
Reducing Insulin Dependence
In one trial, investigators led by Roberto J Fernandez Viña, MD, used direct catheterization with distal occlusion of the spleen artery (Figure) to implant autologous bone marrow stem cells (CD 34+CD38-) into the pancreas in 16 patients with type 2 diabetes (ages 48 - 65).
Average blood glucose levels dropped from 2.08 g/mL before the study to 1.56 g/mL at 90 days post implantation, a decrease of 26.92% (P = .015). Glycohemoglobin (HbA1C) levels dropped 18.73%, from 9.21% to 7.47% (P = .0001), and c-peptide levels increased 25.68%, from 1.35 ng/mL to 1.83 ng/mL (P = .014). Meanwhile, blood insulin levels rose a nonsignificant 19.2%, from 13.31 µUI/mL at baseline to 16.56 µUI/mL at 90 days.
A decrease in morning hyperglycemia began after the first month. After 90 days, 84% of patients in the study were able to stop taking diabetic drugs or insulin.
Five of the patients were taking insulin therapy alone, two patients were taking insulin plus oral medication, and the rest were taking oral medication alone prior to enrollment.
Type 1 Diabetes
In a separate trial, the same group of researchers implanted autologous bone marrow stem cells (CD34+CD38-) via the same method into the pancreas in 23 patients with type 1 diabetes.
Although blood sugar levels decreased a non-significant 9.7% after 90 days, HbA1c showed a strong decreasing trend of 18.45% (P = .07 vs. baseline), as did exogenous insulin taken by the patients (decrease of 17% from 46.7 UI/day to 39.9 UI/day at 90 days post-implantation, P = .08).
There was also a 55% increase in c-peptide levels (P = .0027).
The catheterization technique was developed at the Fernandez Viña Foundation & San Nicolas Clinic, San Nicolas, Argentina.
