The first day of school of is scary enough; gets even scarier when your teacher’s blood sugar drops and she starts to seize. Now when people say they get cold feet for the first day of school I completely understand. Mrs. Smith was your average 7th grade teacher or so the first few hours of class made her seem that way but we were in for a real shock (and so was she). Mrs. Smith had an episode of diabetic shock on the first day when she was distracted by added stress of making a good impression. She sure made an impression on us: shaking, pale skin tone and slurring of words. In addition to making first impressions, busy people like teachers could be spared the crisis when they grow distracted by work. New research shows that the body can be tricked into curing diabetes. Artificial beta cells will sense blood glucose concentrations and release insulin if blood sugars is too high. The product still must undergo clinical trials, showing that other concerns may be addressed, such as the life span of the beta cells.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body destroys its own beta cells creating a complete absence of insulin (Erick). Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body beta cells slow production of insulin and the receptors no longer can bind with the insulin that is produced (Erick). Diabetes is a growing problem in the world today. According to current estimates, more than 400 million people have diabetes and the number is still increasing (Erick). Due to changes in diets and lifestyle activities, type 2 diabetes is more prevalent than type 1, which is the one that you are born with. Artificial beta cells could help with both kinds of diabetes treatments. After interviewing with Dr. Scott, a chemistry professor who has diabetes himself, he believes that this research is amazing. They have been trying to conduct successful studies like this for years but never has he seen a trial of the beta cells that has survived for 3 weeks. Dr. Scott hopes that in the future this research will bring understanding of how the intermolecular cell works and be able to come with a possible preventative to diabetes.
Most diabetes treatments do not last longer than a few hours and maybe a few days at the most. A research team led by Stelling and Fussenegger conducted a study that took human embryonic kidney cells and engineered them to be able to sense glucose levels in the blood. These artificial beta cells, called HEK-293, would release insulin according to blood glucose levels (Erick). The current treatment for diabetes is like swimming, constantly having to take breaths aka insulin. Whereas the new beta cell treatment would be like scuba diving with an oxygen tank, not constantly worrying but being able to go prolonged amount of times without breathes or taking insulin. These artificial beta cells could lead teachers and others not having to pay so much attention to their disease so they can teach or carry out with their daily lives.
Constantly thinking about checking blood sugar levels has to get tiring. Even with the monitor attached, there is constant thought. The HEK-293 would allow the patient to not think about it for at least 3 weeks. The beta cells have successfully produced insulin in rats for 3 weeks. Insulin is what allows the body to be able to uptake glucose. Glucose is important in of the body’s function, especially an important energy source. “Insulin-secreting cells…restore blood glucose concentrations to normal when they are transported into streptozotocin-induced diabetic animals. These results shows that diabetes could be among the first applications of stem cell therapy” (Soria, Skoudy, Martín.). Currently two groups of researchers, BetaLogics Venture and Melton teams have found ways to successfully replicate beta cells using stem cells. These cells produced similar amounts of insulin as natural human beta cells do, unlike the previous trials of stem beta cells (Kahraman). Critics may talk about the way that this whole process of getting embryonic cells is done, but those embryonic cells that are not being used, this makes sure that they are not being wasted. Since stem cells have the ability to become any cell of the human body because when obtained, the body has not interpreted them as a distinct cell yet (Kahraman), this makes the stem cells perfect candidates to be modified into beta cells. The break through research could help the millions of people that have diabetes. With this research and further research, it could possibly lead to a decline in a diabetes if this research leads to the answer.
The interest in stem cells for research has increased. They are cheap to obtain, but not always easily accessible with the changing laws and how American society views the embryonic stem cells. David Scadden, who is one of the directors of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, was interviewed by Gene Therapy and asked about the history of stem cells: “My interest has been…to see if we could rebuild immunity, particularly hoping to engage the field of gene therapy to potentially alter the sensitivity of the immune system to the virus” (Scadden). The field of stem cells is a continuously growing field with new discoveries each year.
Diabetes is not cost affective for the bank, as with most conditions. The medical expenses on doctor visits and the medication to keep diabetes well managed, is way higher than what it would cost to use the beta cell treatment. The data collected by American Diabetes Association in 2012 said that:
People with diagnosed diabetes incur average medical expenditures of about $13,700 per year, of which about $7,900 is attributed to diabetes. People with diagnosed diabetes, on average, have medical expenditures approximately 2.3 times higher than what expenditures would be in the absence of diabetes. (American Diabetes Association)
Beta cells are more cost affective to obtain than insulin products. The American people with diabetes could save so much money because they would not have to treat themselves everyday with insulin but instead every few weeks go get another round of beta cells. The beta cells would pay for themselves in the fact that the patient would not have to think about treatment for at least 3 weeks and that the cells would regulate the glucose levels no matter what the patient ate. This is extremely appealing to the younger generations who are trying to fit in and having an insulin pump attached to them or having to prick their finger almost constantly, does not justify “fitting in”.
The beta cells would allow children to not have to stand out. It would be more cost affect for families. People like Mrs. Smith would not have to worry about checking their insulin levels and could spend more time focusing their careers or the fun things like scuba diving. The future is looking shocking (but in a good way) so diabetes, I think yes!
