Stem cells from eyelid may cure diabetes
A popular cosmetic procedure in Korea may hold the key to curing diabetes. Double eyelid surgery, which involves removing fat from under the eyelids and stitching the skin above the eye line, is a common procedure in Korea. In the past, the fat removed during surgery was simply discarded. However, scientists have now discovered that it contains abundant amounts of neural stem cells, also known as multipotent cells.
The research led by professor Kim Hae-kwon of Seoul Women's University is being regarded as a potential breakthrough in Type 1 diabetes treatment. Scientists here have manipulated stem cells retrieved from a human eyelid to specifically secrete insulin. They then transplanted these cells to immunocompetent diabetic mice and found that half of the test subjects maintained normal blood sugar levels and made complete recoveries.
According to the professor, there have been numerous cases where scientists have used human neural stem cells to cure diabetic mice, but those studies were different from his in that the injected stem cells only helped boost pancreatic cells rather than insulin secretion.
http://www.biotopics.zampbioworld.org/2009/06/05/8221
A popular cosmetic procedure in Korea may hold the key to curing diabetes. Double eyelid surgery, which involves removing fat from under the eyelids and stitching the skin above the eye line, is a common procedure in Korea. In the past, the fat removed during surgery was simply discarded. However, scientists have now discovered that it contains abundant amounts of neural stem cells, also known as multipotent cells.
The research led by professor Kim Hae-kwon of Seoul Women's University is being regarded as a potential breakthrough in Type 1 diabetes treatment. Scientists here have manipulated stem cells retrieved from a human eyelid to specifically secrete insulin. They then transplanted these cells to immunocompetent diabetic mice and found that half of the test subjects maintained normal blood sugar levels and made complete recoveries.
According to the professor, there have been numerous cases where scientists have used human neural stem cells to cure diabetic mice, but those studies were different from his in that the injected stem cells only helped boost pancreatic cells rather than insulin secretion.
http://www.biotopics.zampbioworld.org/2009/06/05/8221