A research project co-funded by the DiabetesCERO Foundation has managed to generate, from human skin, cells with functionality increasingly similar to that of the pancreas's beta cells, which are responsible for producing insulin in the body.
According to the findings, the cells obtained show characteristics increasingly close to those of original beta cells, including the ability to produce insulin and greater expression of the genes associated with its secretion — a relevant step in the search for replacement cells for type 1 diabetes.
This line of work adds to other research paths already covered on DiabetesHoy, such as Sana Biotechnology's stem cell therapy, within the same long-term goal: replacing the beta cells the body has lost in long-standing type 1 diabetes.