Beyond Insulin: Emerging Therapies for Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is a complex polygenetic disease that results from the immune system attacking and destroying the insulin-secreting -cells in the pancreas. This irreversible destruction results in an absolute insulin deficiency, disrupting the bodys ability to regulate blood glucose levels. The current standard treatment is exogenous insulin replacement therapy, where patients must administer it through multiple daily injections via a syringe or a pump. Although technological advances like continuous glucose monitors help to control blood glucose levels clearly, this traditional method still has several limitations. Consequently, a novel approach of using the growth differentiation factor 15 protein could be used alongside taking insulin injections, which stabilises blood glucose fluctuations better. Moreover, stem-cell therapies are being researched and developed due to their curative potential to regenerate -cells. However, the new approaches lack clinical studies and still contain many risks, such as cancer development. The successful development of these therapies promises to restore the bodys natural ability to produce insulin and reduce the dependence on insulin replacement.