Stem Cells: Are They the Cure for Diabetes?
Stem Cells: Are They the Cure for Diabetes?
Stem Cells: Are They the Cure for Diabetes? Diabetes is a disease that affects 25.8 million people in the United States alone, not to mention the 7.0 million people who are undiagnosed and the staggering 79 million people who are pre-diabetic (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). That number alone should send out an alarm that a cure is needed. Not just a treatment, but a real cure that will free sufferers from the strict diets, oral medications and insulin injections, as well as prevent the serious complications of the disease that is now taking our country by storm. With this many people affected, or potentially affected, our country’s healthcare resources will be crippled by the long term complications diabetes causes. A possible, albeit controversial, cure for diabetes could come from stem cell research. Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the glucose in the blood is elevated. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1, or insulin dependent diabetes, and type 2, non-insulin dependent diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body perceives its own cells as foreign invaders and attacks them. The islet cells of the pancreas, which produce and secrete insulin, are destroyed. The body needs insulin to supply the cells with energy and since insulin can no longer get into the cell, glucose accumulates in the blood. The only treatment for this is insulin injections or the use of an insulin pump. However, it is important to note that this is not a cure. Insulin brings with it its own set of problems such as injecting too much or not enough insulin, injecting too far in advance of a meal, and the sheer inconvenience of carrying supplies around and going into unclean bathrooms to inject. This type of diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood or young adulthood and happens quite suddenly. Type 2 diabetes is more of a gradual onset,
Stem Cells: Are They the Cure for Diabetes? Diabetes is a disease that affects 25.8 million people in the United States alone, not to mention the 7.0 million people who are undiagnosed and the staggering 79 million people who are pre-diabetic (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). That number alone should send out an alarm that a cure is needed. Not just a treatment, but a real cure that will free sufferers from the strict diets, oral medications and insulin injections, as well as prevent the serious complications of the disease that is now taking our country by storm. With this many people affected, or potentially affected, our country’s healthcare resources will be crippled by the long term complications diabetes causes. A possible, albeit controversial, cure for diabetes could come from stem cell research. Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the glucose in the blood is elevated. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1, or insulin dependent diabetes, and type 2, non-insulin dependent diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body perceives its own cells as foreign invaders and attacks them. The islet cells of the pancreas, which produce and secrete insulin, are destroyed. The body needs insulin to supply the cells with energy and since insulin can no longer get into the cell, glucose accumulates in the blood. The only treatment for this is insulin injections or the use of an insulin pump. However, it is important to note that this is not a cure. Insulin brings with it its own set of problems such as injecting too much or not enough insulin, injecting too far in advance of a meal, and the sheer inconvenience of carrying supplies around and going into unclean bathrooms to inject. This type of diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood or young adulthood and happens quite suddenly. Type 2 diabetes is more of a gradual onset,
References: A new era: Expanded embryonic stem cell lines broaden horizons. (2009, December 8). Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from: http://www.chron.com/opinion/editorials/article/A- new-era-Expanded-embryonic-stem-cell-lines-1621130.php Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011, May 23). 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet. Retrieved April 20, 2013, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/estimates11.htm National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2013, January 16). Stem cells and diabetes. Retrieved April 20, 2013, from Stem Cell Information: http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/scireport/pages/chapter7.aspx National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2012, June 7). What are adult stem cells? Retrieved April 20, 2013, from Stem Cell Information: http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/pages/basics4.aspx REMOVING BARRIERS TO RESPONSIBLE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN STEM CELLS. (2009, March 9). Retrieved April 20, 2013, from The White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/removing-barriers-responsible-scientific- research-involving-human-stem-cells Scheiner, Gary. (2011). Think like a pancreas. New York, NY: Marlowe & Company. What are stem cells? (2013). Retrieved April 20, 2013, from Diabetes Research Institute Foundation: http://www.diabetesresearch.org/Stem-Cells-FAQ What is stem cell research? (2013, January 5). Retrieved April 20, 2013, from Joslin Diabetes Center: http://www.joslin.org/about/stem_cell_research.htm