What is stem cell therapy for diabetes?

Stem cell therapy for diabetes is an approach to treating the condition that uses stem cells (unspecialized cells capable of developing into many different cell types) to restore the insulin-producing function that diabetes destroys. Rather than managing blood glucose externally through insulin injections, stem cell therapy aims to regenerate or replace the pancreatic beta cells responsible for natural insulin production.

The most promising form of stem cell therapy for diabetes currently in development uses induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These are adult cells that have been reprogrammed to behave like stem cells. iPSCs can be directed, through carefully controlled differentiation protocols, to develop into insulin-producing cells that function like the beta cells found in healthy pancreatic islets. When transplanted, these cells have the potential to restore the body’s ability to regulate blood glucose naturally.

RMS is developing an iPSC-based stem cell therapy for diabetes designed to work for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes patients, without requiring donor organs, immunosuppressive drugs, or an implantable device. The therapy is currently in preclinical development, with an IND submission in preparation as the next step toward human clinical trials.

Learn more about RMS’s stem cell therapy for diabetes.