The article published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI) emphasizes that the new immune system, formed from both donor and recipient cells, successfully halted the autoimmune attack on insulin-producing cells and ensured stable restoration of normal blood sugar levels. This was achieved without the need for insulin administration and without prolonged immunosuppression.
To prepare the body for transplantation, a gentle non-myeloablative regimen was used, which included a combination of antibodies, low-dose total body irradiation, and drugs to suppress autoimmune activity. This approach is already partially used in clinical practice, increasing the chances of its successful application in humans. All 19 animals involved in the experiment did not develop diabetes, and all nine mice with already manifested disease showed positive results.
In the future, researchers plan to adapt this technology for use in humans and find sources of sufficient pancreatic islet cells for transplantation. They believe that this "reboot" method of the immune system could be revolutionary not only in the treatment of type 1 diabetes but also in the therapy of other autoimmune diseases, as well as in the safe transplantation of organs from partially incompatible donors.
