In a First, Diabetic Man Receives Insulin-Producing Cells His Body Won’t Reject—No Needles or Pills
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Summary
A 46-year-old man has become the first recipient of cells genetically modified to evade immune detection for the treatment of type 1 diabetes.
The three-month trial, detailed in the New England Journal of Medicine, saw cells edited using CRISPR-Cas9 to remove immune-triggering proteins and add a new one that acts as camouflage.
The engineered cells were then injected into the patient’s forearm and were able to produce insulin without being targeted by the immune system for three months and without the need for immunosuppressive drugs.
The patient experienced some mild side effects, including blood clots in small, surface veins at the site of injections.
The approach offers hope for people with type 1 diabetes, who have a higher risk of serious heart and blood-vessel problems and a shortened lifespan.
Unlike type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes is caused by the body’s own immune system attacking the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas and people with the condition rely on insulin injections to manage the condition.
