A stem cell is a cell that is able to renew itself by mitosis, a process of cell division. Once renewed, it can assume the role of many different cells, and in the case of diabetes treatment, it can become a beta cell. This idea to insert one's own stem cells into his or her pancreas is a revolutionary idea and has proven successful in the past. In 2007, Dr. Julio Voltarelli successfully treated fifteen diabetes patients with their own stem cells, and none needed an injection of insulin to control blood sugar levels.
This idea may also tie into the problem of the dangerous immune system. Because the reason the white blood cells, which I believe are mainly the Cytotoxic T-cells, are attacking the beta cells is unknown, it may be the best idea to simply wipe out the current immune system entirely. The new immune system replacement would be composed of stem cells, which have passed through positive and negative selection and contain no abnormalities whatsoever. You may read the article discussing this breakthrough by clicking on "Dr. Julio Voltarelli."
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