Is Gene Therapy the Cure for Diabetes?

Mia Morton

DiabetesDiabetes affects about

one in every 400 to 600 children and adolescents.

Defects that cause diabetes:autoimmune attack destruction of the

insulin-producing beta cells

The result is a deficiency of insulin, needed to regulate blood sugar

Gene therapy stimulated new formation of cells in the liver, restored insulin production, and regulated blood sugar levels in more than 100 mice with chemically induced type 1 diabetes. However this “cure” only worked in obese mice, in healthy

mice, the immune system killed the new formed cells Interleukin-10 was added to the cure, this gives the new cells a

protective coating so they will not be destroyedThis new formula reversed diabetes completely in half of the

mice during more than 20 months' follow-up.

Cure?

Moving ForwardWhy the cure did not work on all mice is unclear.

However all treated mice had some improvements:Better regulated blood sugarWeight gainLonger life

The cure is continuing to be developed at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, where this study was conducted, someday they hope it will reach a full success rate and be approved for humans

Works Cited:•http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100621091211.htm•http://www.w3science.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/l_gene.therapy-ms.gif•http://topnews.us/images/imagecache/main_image/Gene-Therapy_0.jpg•http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FsCJqbhvWwM/TfhVYQ5g-SI/AAAAAAAAE8Q/dW8fjwiXa9I/s1600/type1diabetes.jpg