New discovery could pave the way for improved treatments for diabetes

L-R: Dr Keith Al-Hasani, Dr Ishant Khurana and Professor Sam
El-Osta, lead authors on the beta cell regeneration study. Ishant
 Khurana explains more about the research in a video (1:02 mins)
 and see animation

In a world-first, a study by Monash University has discovered a pathway to the regeneration of insulin in pancreatic stem cells, a major breakthrough toward new therapies to treat Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.  

Using the pancreas stem cells of type 1 diabetic donor, researchers were able to effectively reactivate them to become insulin-expressing and functionally resemble beta-like cells through the use of a drug which is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration but is not currently licensed for diabetes treatment.  

The new approach, though it requires further work, would in principle allow insulin-producing cells (beta-cells) that are destroyed in type 1 diabetics to be replaced with newborn insulin-generating cells.

Discovery for turning on cell repair in tissues and organs

Model of demethylation mediated reprogramming

Monash University researchers have uncovered the barrier to β-cell (beta cell) regeneration that could pave the way for improved treatments for diabetes and diseases that involve organ and tissue damage.

The human body doesn’t repair itself very well, with our liver the only organ that can regenerate efficiently.  We have limited capacity to regenerate new cells or tissue after birth as the genes involved in development are switched off.