Gene-edited cells let diabetes patient make his own insulin
A 42-year-old with type 1 diabetes is now making his own insulin again, thanks to a transplant of gene-edited donor cells that don't need anti-rejection drugs.
This first-of-its-kind result, from researchers in Sweden and the US, could be a real game-changer for diabetes treatment.
How the groundbreaking treatment works
Scientists used CRISPR to tweak donor islet cells—removing certain markers and boosting a "don't attack me" protein—so the immune system wouldn't reject them.
After being injected into the patient's arm, these edited cells kept making insulin for 12 weeks without any immunosuppressants.
Cells that weren't fully edited didn't last.
A potential revolution in diabetes care
While the patient still needs some insulin shots for now, this experiment shows it's possible to get working islet cell transplants without risky drugs.
If it scales up, people with type 1 diabetes might one day ditch daily injections and regain natural insulin production—no lifelong meds required.