Thanks to an immunosuppressive treatment and the stem cell autotransplant of the bone marrow performed at the University Hospital (HU), of the Autonomous University of Nuevo León, seven patients with type I diabetes managed to suspend the use of insulin.
A part of the process implies stimulation in the production of stem cells, which are extracted and then injected into the body again as if it were a blood transfusion.
"We are not sure that stem cells become insulin producers, but we know they are able to travel to the affected area of the pancreas and repair the inflamed tissues that prevent this hormone from being generated," says Fernando Lavalle González, coordinatorof teaching of the endocrinology service of HU.
“The transplant stops the destructive process of the autoimmune system and that gives rest to the beta cells.The expected result is to increase these cells because the stimulus that was destroying them has been eliminated, ”explains Dr. Lavalle González.
That is why candidates for this type of treatment should be newly diagnosed patients so that the pancreas still has potentially functional tissue to help stabilize damaged cells and contribute to restore their ability to produce insulin.
In the other part of the project, the medications used modulate or modify the immune response of the body, since type I diabetes causes the body's defenses to attack beta cells or insulin producers, which cover 10 percent of the pancreas.
“The defect of antibody production has to do with genetics and we cannot change it with the transplant, but we can get them to stop producing antibodies and this pauses the cells that produce insulin to return tofunction, ”says the endocrinologist.
It clarifies that it is not difficult for the transplant to be related to taking medications for life to avoid rejection, but when it was a self -transplant, it does not require any special treatment, drugs forever.
Nine out of 10 people with type I diabetes could be candidates for this type of treatment, whose cost is estimated could amount to 70 thousand pesos, especially for the price of medications.
Lavalle considers that it is a success that patients undergoing treatment reduce their dependence on insulin injections, since there are those who require between four and five doses per day, so get this to decrease to a single daily dose is a result that positively impactsin the quality of life of people.
"It is not a healing, but about stopping the progress of the disease and looking for patients free from the external use of insulin, although they are people who must continue to have medical control and review," says Lavalle.
Regarding the chances of relapse, Lavalle insists that it is a disease whose genetic load is crucial."Genes cannot be changed to patients," he says."People could produce antibodies again and, in that case, beta cells would decrease and the individual would have diabetes again."
The treatment, prepared at the UANL Hospital was published in the Journal of the American Society of Endocrinology, one of more relevant worldwide.
Although in other countries there is already this treatment, HU is the first worldwide in carrying it out in an outpatient way and with a cost reduction of up to 80 percent.
